A Tesla in Your Future?

The co-founder of PayPal says that within the next four years, he hopes to produce a practical, $30,000, all-electric car. Aside from some engineering problems (only gets 200 miles to the battery), this looks very promising. Even better, the government wasn't involved in the car's development.

Debate: Why do we need governments to regulate our energy consumption when the market is perfectly capable of solving this issue?

EDIT: Here's the link to the story:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/145876

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
The co-founder of PayPal says that within the next four years, he hopes to produce a practical, $30,000, all-electric car. Aside from some engineering problems (only gets 200 miles to the battery), this looks very promising. Even better, the government wasn't involved in the car's development.

Debate: Why do we need governments to regulate ou ...[text shortened]... olving this issue?

EDIT: Here's the link to the story:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/145876

'The Market'TM Is a load of investors who use 19th century economic theory (if any) follow each other like sheep, and panic at the slightest sign of trouble. They put short term gain ahead of long term security, and put efficiency ahead of redundancy.
The idea is to have a WELL REGULATED market. and governments do the regulating, could they do a better job... yes. Would it be better if they didn't regulate at all... no. Argue for better regulation, not no regulation.

EDIT: There is a mountain of examples of this, the current marked 'adjustion' is just one of many.

Originally posted by Wheely
Which issue is that?

I think it's premature to declare that the market has solved all our energy issues based on what the co-founder of paypal claims he can maybe produce and bring to market in four years.

Originally posted by darthmix
I think it's premature to declare that the market has solved all our energy issues based on what the co-founder of paypal claims he can maybe produce and bring to market in four years.

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
I guess it's many issues surrounding energy use: high oil prices, peak oil, CO2 emissions, fuel efficiency, "global warming," etc.

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
I guess it's many issues surrounding energy use: high oil prices, peak oil, CO2 emissions, fuel efficiency, "global warming," etc.

Originally posted by forkedknight
I think he meant "issue" of Newsweek...

Originally posted by sonhouse
Why do you include CO2 emissions if you think global warming is not caused by man? If that's the case, why worry about CO2?

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
Debate: Why do we need governments to regulate our energy consumption when the market is perfectly capable of solving this issue?

Originally posted by der schwarze Ritter
The co-founder of PayPal says that within the next four years, he hopes to produce a practical, $30,000, all-electric car. Aside from some engineering problems (only gets 200 miles to the battery), this looks very promising. Even better, the government wasn't involved in the car's development.

Debate: Why do we need governments to regulate ou ...[text shortened]... olving this issue?

EDIT: Here's the link to the story:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/145876

Originally posted by Barts
I'm not quite sure how the governement regulates your energy consumption. Have you got any rationing ? Do you need governement approval when you buy appliances that use a lot of energy ?

Or are you once again talking about carbon taxes and the like. If so, open an economics textbook. Pollution is a textbook example of an externality, using a tax to force a company to pay for it's pollution is a textbook example of a market-conform way to solve this.

Originally posted by Wajoma
So companies pay for this 'externality' through tax? The gummint tries to modify the companies behaviour by punishing them.

Then why the hell do they tax a man for going to work so he can feed his family?

Originally posted by Barts
That would be because your average governement has costs and they need a way to pay them.

(And by the way, do you now agree or disagree with the rationing behind pollution taxes,I can't really tell ?)