Raise State Gas Taxes (and Not Just for the Money)

The U.S. is reaching a crossroads in its drive to reduce greenhouse gases: While emissions from electricity-generating plants have been steadily decreasing, those from cars and trucks keep rising. Transportation is now poised to become the country's leading source of carbon dioxide.

The smart way to put the brakes on vehicle emissions would be to place an economy-wide price on carbon, so that what drivers pay for gasoline would reflect its damage to the atmosphere. Carmakers and consumers could then decide how best to respond to the true cost of gas -- probably by moving more quickly toward cleaner engines and electric vehicles. (At the same time, a carbon tax would ensure that the cleanest forms of electric power -- nuclear, solar, wind -- are made permanently cost-effective.)