Curing the Automobile Blues

The gangster Clyde Barrow of "Bonnie & Clyde" fame was so impressed with his stolen Ford that he wrote Henry a letter congratulating him on making such a fine automobile. But that's just an aside; the real message of Curing the Automobile Blues is that oil dependence, car pollution, and traffic congestion are turning our metropolitan freeways into stinky molasses. Using clay animation and spiffy live-action editing, this short wake-up call from the non-profit organization Union of Concerned Scientists says that the romance between America and its automobiles is on the environmental and political rocks, and offers a few suggestions for change. Like "feebates." People who buy gas snorters pay a penalty fee, while those who buy gas sippers get a rebate. Or how about lower insurance rates for less driving: instead of a monthly premium, your insurance fee would be added to your gas purchase. And, of course, the eternal standby: a gas tax with revenues earmarked for alternative energy development (when it comes to raising gas prices, however, the UCC would have to take a number and stand in line behind Washington). The easiest change of the bunch would be to charge higher rates at toll booths during peak traffic hours, thereby encouraging people to use the bus or a car pool to cut costs. Obviously, each and every one of these suggestions raises serious administrative questions (thinking about paying for car insurance at the local gas station boggles the bureaucratic mind). But, unlike too many other programs that merely pitch a bitch and then roll credits, Curing the Automobile Blues actually proffers some ideas. They may not all work, but they'll at least make people think. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)