Clinton's proposal is bullshit. She doesn't know economics.


Oil has huge negative externalities (i.e. pollution), so the only way to shift the market equilibrium to the socially optimal level is by taxing it heavily. Taxing the shit out of oil & coal is the best and easiest way to stop global warming. Compensate for its impact on poor commuters by giving out a flat rebate (like the stimulus package).

Hah, so economists are elitists now? Well, they'll just have to take their elitist economic know-how somewhere else now, won't they!

There are alternate sources of fuel out there, but the problem is every one uses a combustion engine. Below has some writing on the engine, not just combustion but, also airbreathers, and conceptual pulse propulsion. The longterm plan is to find alternate engine and fuel sources and bring them into mainstream.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine#Modern

Edit: I say every one uses a combustion engine, to mean that the mainstream engine is combustion.

The best way to subsidize alternative energy is to tax oil & coal.