[sustran] Fuel Costs: Welcome Perspective of Chilean Minister of Finance

[Lew Fulton]

Thanks Chris. This prompts me to mention that the IEA has a new book out
called "Saving Oil in a Hurry", with some ideas and analysis on what
governments can do to achieve rapid oil use reductions. It's available at
their website www.iea.org, though it's not free unfortunately, but the pdf
version isn't too pricey.

Lew Fulton



|---------+------------------------------------------------------------>
|         |           "P. Christopher Zegras" <czegras at MIT.EDU>        |
|         |           Sent by:                                         |
|         |           sustran-discuss-bounces+lew.fulton=unep.org at list.|
|         |           jca.apc.org                                      |
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|         |                                                            |
|         |           07/09/2005 15:59                                 |
|         |           Please respond to Asia and the Pacific           |
|         |           sustainable transport                            |
|         |                                                            |
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  |       To:       WorldTransport at yahoogroups.com, sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org             |
  |       cc:                                                                                    |
  |       Subject:  [sustran] Fuel Costs: Welcome Perspective of Chilean Minister of  Finance    |
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The Chilean Ministry of Finance, Nicolás Eyzaguirre, was recently quoted
(thanks to Lake Sagaris for highlighting this):

"If gasoline is more expensive, people need to modify their conduct and
consume less gasoline, for example organizing themselves and in place of
going by automobile take a taxi as a group, use more public transport. We
cannot be promoting the consumption of a good that we do not produce and
that is each day more expensive.

In no case will a generalized subsidy for gasoline be passed and, as such,
a clear message to auto users is if fuel costs continue increasing they
will have to in some way change their conduct, use less the auto, prefer
public transport or bicycles."

[my translation, see:
http://www.lanacion.cl/prontus_noticias/site/artic/20050830/pags/20050830161148.html]


Any similar sentiments expressed from other frank public officials from
around the world?

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