Originally posted by ROGER THE DODGERMarkets. They would sell it at a higher cost, but their populations can't afford it. For example, the petrol price here has gone up to about 50p per litre--a massive 33% increase--and people are griping like babies cutting teeth.
So why is it then that so many other countries can provide/sell diesel fuel at much lower cost to thier populations ? Seems just one more good reason to leave the UK to me !
Originally posted by ROGER THE DODGERThe reason is we pay more is we have fairer taxes.
So why is it then that so many other countries can provide/sell diesel fuel at much lower cost to thier populations ? Seems just one more good reason to leave the UK to me !
Fuel could and should be taxed higher because as opposed to other road taxes it is based on the more you use the more you pay.
I would like to see higher taxes on gas guzzling cars and more tax incentives on more sustainably fuelled transportation.
You can leave the UK if you want to, I'm sure whereever you end up will have to face reality soon enough anyway.
Originally posted by invigorateHi Invigorate
The reason is we pay more is we have fairer taxes.
Fuel could and should be taxed higher because as opposed to other road taxes it is based on the more you use the more you pay.
I would like to see higher taxes on gas guzzling cars and more tax incentives on more sustainably fuelled transportation.
You can leave the UK if you want to, I'm sure whereever you end up will have to face reality soon enough anyway.
I appreciate your comments, however I beg to differ, when one pays not only fuel tax, but council tax, on top of vat, income tax,ni contributions, domestic fuel taxes etc etc. If we have such a 'fair' system (ok if you are on 30k+) why then do more people leave the UK than come in ? and why are we not overwhelmed with Australians,Canadians,Americans,New Zealanders who wish to take advantage of our illustrious and fair system !
Originally posted by ROGER THE DODGERCouncil tax really takes very little account of income or use of council resources and facilities. VAT is paid regardless of income. It could be argued that fuel tax is much fairer than these other flat in direct taxes because at least the consumer pays the tax.
Hi Invigorate
I appreciate your comments, however I beg to differ, when one pays not only fuel tax, but council tax, on top of vat, income tax,ni contributions, domestic fuel taxes etc etc. If we have such a 'fair' system (ok if you are on 30k+) why then do more people leave the UK than come in ? and why are we not overwhelmed with Australians,Canadians,Americans,New Zealanders who wish to take advantage of our illustrious and fair system !
The other day I had a meeting in suburban London at 9am. Return train fare £34.50. Petrol about £10. Of course I drove.
I either cycle, walk or take the bus to work here in Brighton mainly because parking is so expensive. But you never see protests about car park prices do you.
As Shav says, the petrol issues are the tip of the iceberg. Once Oil reserves are exhausted we are well and truley fcuk'ed.
The only option will be to continue work to find viable atlernatives now, however it seems a long term sustainable view is not one which wins votes at the ballot box, so government policy does nothing to assist with these efforts.
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Just to butt in - Oil reserves are currently self replenishing and will not be significantly reduced in the next 100 years or so. The reasons for oil prices being so high is the overall cost of manufacture and transport- as well as the monopoly that OPEC has. If you want to blame someone for escalating prices, blame Bush and Blair for busting into Iraq and destroying the output of one the world's largest oil producers - thus placing the burden on the remaining country's to fill this gap. OPEC has just decided to flex it's muscles and tell the rest of the world what it believes we should be paying for oil.
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Originally posted by invigorateYou easily forget that costs beside pure gas needs to be paid too. When buying a train ticket, part of the price is for the actual train, the cost of building it, maintaining it, salary for employees driving it, maintaining it, safety guards, the cost of building train stations et cetera.
The other day I had a meeting in suburban London at 9am. Return train fare £34.50. Petrol about £10. Of course I drove.
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These cost are already paid by you when you buy a car, when you pay your insurence, when you pay your motorway taxes. The ten pounds are purely for the gas. I think the total price of what you pay for a car is not that differently for the price you pay for tickets if you went by train all the time (if possible, of course), annuelly.
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Originally posted by deeply satisfied"Oil reserves are currently self replenishing"
Just to butt in - Oil reserves are currently self replenishing and will not be significantly reduced in the next 100 years or so. The reasons for oil prices being so high is the overall cost of manufacture and transport- as well as the monopoly that OPEC has. If you want to blame someone for escalating prices, blame Bush and Blair for busting into I ...[text shortened]... flex it's muscles and tell the rest of the world what it believes we should be paying for oil.
That has to go down as one of the best. I concede that technological advances have allowed us to exploit reserves that previous were not economically viable to touch, but self replenishing - c'mon that stuff took millions of years to form and you're telling me it is forming as quickly as we are pumping out of the ground?!!
The data around oil reserves is known to be best guestimates and has been for years.
I didn't think I was trying to blame anyone for rising prices - I believe we should pay the going rate for such a resource, whatever that is. My point was agreement with someone else that were scoobied when it runs out & government is doing nothing to help this.
I don't believe Oil should be sold for shareholder profit, and feel that OPEC is underperforming by allowing this. All profits from oil sales would be better invested in technological development for alternative fuels and more efficient use of that which remains, rather than lining the pockets of both fat-cats and smaller investors.
Originally posted by shavixmirNot to mention all the chemicals that are extracted from crude oil. Like most organic compunds. The chemical industry will be knackered well and truly. Did we mention pharmaceuticals? Oooops. It'll be life Jim but not as we know it.
Fuel for cars is the least of our worries, my friends.
You see, once the oil has run done, we'll switch to another fuel for cars (like water, gas, electricity, slaves...).
The current prices are fixed. The taxes are high because the governments know that people will dish out the money anyway and the alternative fuels are not being produced, to keep ...[text shortened]... ow, what's going to happen when all this oil is no longer there and there are no more plastics?
We'll be begging for a man named Ged to turn up on the scene again.