Knob Magazine

The nations pedophiles may soon be able to upgrade to hybrid vehicles.

I for one like symbolic but futile acts.  Take the Sell Fuel Efficient Cars Act of 2008 recently introduced on the floor of the senate.  It proposes a $10,000 subsidy for low income families who trade in their old cars for a newer, American made model that get at least 25 mpg or 4.9 mpg better than the car they trade in.  There is no way in hell this act will pass, but it is nice to see that some in the Senate are at least thinking of the problem in a comprehensive way.
The act is a rare recognition of one of the biggest issues of the “green revolution” namely, the fact that the rich get the lions share of efficiency gains when it comes to green technology and are easily able to pass the cost of ownership of less efficient technology to the poorer classes.  The result is yet another force driving disparities between rich and poor.  As energy costs rise, the worlds poor will be forced either to do without or spend greater portions of their wealth on energy costs.
At first glance the plan looks incredibly expensive, but when compared with the cost of the bailout of the Big Three, the plan could help 1.5 million low income families purchase more efficient transportation.  Of course the same plan could purchase a $500 dollar bicycle for almost 10% of the population, but who’s counting?