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This article is from a year ago in the New York Times, but it is still a good overview on why low gasoline prices are bad for America and the world.

For a long time I have felt the price of gasoline in the United States was way too low. Pretty much all economists believe this. Greg Mankiw blogged back in October about the many reasons why we should raise gas taxes.

The reason we need high gas taxes is that there are all sorts of costs associated with my driving that I don’t pay — someone else pays them. This is what economists call a “negative externality.” Because I don’t pay the full costs of my driving, I drive too much. Ideally, the government could correct this problem through a gas tax that aligns my own private incentive to drive with the social costs of driving.

Read the whole article....

The Brookings Institute unloads on Louisville, and the C-J is tabulating the fallout:

Residents of Louisville and Lexington are among the worst contributors to climate change, according to a study of the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas.

Researchers with Washington's Brookings Institution blame factors such as sprawling development that encourages driving rather than walking, biking or mass transit, and the cities' reliance on cheap, coal-fueled electricity.

Its list — which measured carbon emissions per resident based on per capita emissions from residential and highway energy use in 2005 — puts Lexington at the top of a list of offenders, and Louisville fifth.

While the ranking could be a public relations issue for leaders trying to attract industry and new residents, Louisville has made strides in recent years to improve air quality, add cycling lanes and begin a detailed study of the city's carbon output, said Bruce Traughber, the city's economic development director.

The fourth forum of the Sustainable City Series, Climate Change: from Bali to Louisville, will be held on Tuesday, May 13th beginning at 6:00 pm at Glassworks; 815 W Market Street. Climate change effects everyone, so if you are living on Earth this topic should be of interest to you. The effects of global warming, such as changes in wind patterns, ocean currents and rainfall are only beginning to be realized. This forum will examine the framework for addressing climate change from the level of the United Nations down to what Louisville is doing as a community to address the issue. Please join us on May 13th for an enlightening and entertaining discussion on an extremely important topic.

Our guest speakers will be Art Williams, Director of the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District and Keith Mountain, Associate Professor of Geography and Geosciences at the University of Louisville.

This event is free to the public, however space is limited, so if you are interested you must register for the May 13th event.

Good editorial at the Washington Post.

[W]e call upon Congress to revisit recently enacted federal mandates requiring the diversion of foodstuffs for production of biofuels. These "food-to-fuel" mandates were meant to move America toward energy independence and mitigate global climate change. But the evidence irrefutably demonstrates that this policy is not delivering on either goal. In fact, it is causing environmental harm and contributing to a growing global food crisis.

CART regularly makes claims that leave the public going "huh?".  That's because we're reading the wonky research that's recommending no new roads, higher gas taxes, increased investment in rail, and increased investment in public transit.  So here is our bibliography:

the 10 Commandments issue

• Nina Walfoort to speak at quarterly meeting
• World Car Free Day preperations
• TARC News
• Lexington Area Sierra Club
• Car Free Guide to Clifton
• Ohio River Bridges, again
• Underestimating Costs in Public Works Projects: Error or Lie?
• Safe Routes To School is a winning issue
• China passes USA in CO₂ emissions
• Vatican issues 10 commandments for drivers

the Earth Day issue

• Call to Action on Climate Change
• Metro Council to Consider Light Rail!!!
• Louisville Metro Planning a Pedestrian Forum
• Kentucky Planning Bicycle and Pedestrian Conference
• Getting to the Future by Rail
• FHWA to Portland: Put Cars First
• Drivecam Reduces Risky Behavior Among Teen Drivers
• Santa Barbara's Approach to Housing
• World's Largest Bus unveiled

Transportation investments affect most aspects of our lives: Land use, Air Quality, Accessibility and Livability are the most obvious areas of impact. The oil consumed by transportation - over 13 million barrels a day - is impacting our global climate and bringing us into international conflict. The immanent peak of world oil production signals a radical shift in world energy economics which will cripple those economies which have not prepared by implementing conservation and alternative energy strategies. The United States is the industrial economy most vulnerable to these energy resource depletions.