Articles by Adam Browning

Forbes editor calls for tax increase to fight global warming

In a very Forbsian way, of course:

First, get rid of all other energy taxes. And legislation, while we're at it. Then tax carbon. Slowly. Start at a penny a pound, then increase -- let's not get crazy -- a penny a year.

The devil's always in the details.

The link makes you join, so I've pasted it below.

It’s that kind of movie

A friend sent this email -- her review of An Inconvenient Truth -- at 1:18 AM last night.

Mr. Plug-in Hybrid goes to Washington

On Thursday, May 18, the Big Three automakers have scheduled a trip to the White House to discuss their "needs" with President Bush.

CalCars wants to bring a 100-MPG plug-in hybrid to Washington to meet them.

I think that's a really good idea.

If you do too, join me in helping out.

The high cost of cheap gas.

The New York Times is running an interesting article called "The High Cost of Cheap Gas and Vice Versa." The author calculates the current average cost of driving at 15 cents a mile, up from 6.6 cents in 1998, and down from 20.1 cents in 1980 (in 2006 dollars). He also puts up a cost-per-mile calculator, in case your math skills have deteriorated since you last took the SAT.

My colleague JP Ross tells me that a Toyota Prius in electric-only mode uses .26 kWh to go a mile. If you are filling up with peak electricity rates, say 12 cents kWh, that's 3 cents a mile. Many utilities have nighttime off-peak rates way lower -- at 5 cents kWh, that's around a penny a mile.

In places where the wind blows at night, you could be filling up as you sleep.

And if you have solar covering your parking garage, like the City of Tucson, you could be charging while you work.

You can tell the smart utilities -- they are the ones putting their lobbying power behind plug-in hybrids. It just makes cents.