CO2 emissions

I've always wondered what the difference is between "CO2 emissions" and "carbon-based fuel consumption".

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson

The above idea of subsidizing trade-ins and giving people a break on the "loss" is a great idea because it doesn't cost much and makes people think they're getting something for free.  I'd also suggest that controlling the size of auto loans is a good idea too, but that's also sacrilegious.

If you want to be genuinely progressive you'll find a way to funnel a substantial amount of money into public transit during a gas-guzzler trade-in program.  If you can generate a billion or two dollars in any given metro area you can seriously jumpstart mass-transit infrastructure.