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How Much Less Would You Drive if It Cost $4 More per Day?

Nov 28, 2010
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Would you drive less? Buy an electric car? Make other adjustments?

Listening to a podcast on Canada's approach to climate change, which includes a carbon tax (or something along those lines) that the talking head says would add $4/day to the average Canadian's driving costs.

He thinks that's trivial and wouldn't change people's driving habits very much. Do you agree?

He also says it's increasingly hard and expensive to get flood insurance in Canada - as flooding risks increase and extend to more areas in Canada. Many insurance companies no longer offer coverage for basement flooding at any price.
 
I don’t think it would change my habits much, but I also don’t drive a ton. I bought a new vehicle in November 2019 and I currently only have a touch over 20K miles on it in just under 3 years. I’m not working now and was remote for the last decade plus when I was working. We do some family road trips in my car and we run the kids around to their stuff, but that’s about it plus incidental errands and what not.
 
Let’s Say it affects 100,000,000 drivers.

that’s $400,000,000 a day out of the rest of the economy.
 
I don't think $4/day would have much impact on my driving.

When I drive to/from work I'm already spending ~$20/day on tolls and ~$15 on gas.
 
wfh already did the heavy lifting in reducing the driving, so any further reductions in my case will be incremental. so maybe 10% reduction by deliberately avoiding separate drives for trivial one off purchases. the downside of that (if everybody does this) would be felt by mom and pop shops i think because they are the beneficiaries of spur of the moment business...
 
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Would you drive less? Buy an electric car? Make other adjustments?

Listening to a podcast on Canada's approach to climate change, which includes a carbon tax (or something along those lines) that the talking head says would add $4/day to the average Canadian's driving costs.

He thinks that's trivial and wouldn't change people's driving habits very much. Do you agree?

He also says it's increasingly hard and expensive to get flood insurance in Canada - as flooding risks increase and extend to more areas in Canada. Many insurance companies no longer offer coverage for basement flooding at any price.
It'd be irritating, but it really wouldn't change much. I go where I need to go, when I need to go. The only adjustments I make are which vehicle I take, the 14 MPG or 22 MPG vehicle. I certainly didn't cancel my off-roading trip this summer when the average was 4.49 per gallon between San Antonio, and Hot Springs, AR.

I will caveat my thoughts with the fact my income allows me that option. Many many others don't have that luxury.
 
Additional $4/day x 365 days = $1,460/year just to do something you have already been doing.

I know many Americans would not appreciate this added amount to their annual expenses. I would imagine the average Canuck is in the same boat ‘eh? Would they be willing to give up their Timmy’s for climate change?

Also, obvious dumb question, but where does this $4/day-per person go?
 
Additional $4/day x 365 days = $1,460/year just to do something you have already been doing.

I know many Americans would not appreciate this added amount to their annual expenses. I would imagine the average Canuck is in the same boat ‘eh? Would they be willing to give up their Timmy’s for climate change?

Also, obvious dumb question, but where does this $4/day-per person go?
What I got from the discussion is that a lot of it would be rebated to customers and most of the rest would go into preparing for more and worse global warming events - by improving roads and bridges, electric grid, sewerage and drainage, forest management and fire-fighting capabilities, etc.

Personally I'd rather see more of it go to fighting and preparing for climate change, but I understand that the rebate part has some merit. Not just as a wealth redistribution scheme (which lefties like me tend to favor) but also to make sure that those who are hurt most by the carbon tax get help handling it.

I would think that more cons would like the carbon tax since it's mainly an effort to recruit the power of the market to steer a more sane climate course. If carbon is more expensive, consumers and producers will shift toward greener alternatives.

If we are going to spend trillions on climate change - and we are - wouldn't it be a good idea to have the market helping?
 
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