It's so frustrating to watch these stupid, divisive policies being employed around the world. The need isn't to seemingly punish those that love a thing, it is to offer an alternative that current methods cannot compete with. All this whole exercise has done is make enemies and caused pushback to the point that we have one step forward and two steps back.

[–] Tabula_stercore@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If companies do not get a hard deadline to change, they won't. In fact, the eu car lobby actively fights against this change that objectively would better lives by not huffing petrol fumes.

[–] StoneyPicton@lemmy.ca -3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

They'll change if the profit is to be made elsewhere. Also the threat of liability can help.

[–] Tabula_stercore@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The problem is that new ideas are generally not as profitable as existing ones, even if they are a benefit to society. Volkswagen's innovations are diesel gate and subsidies demands for petrol cars.

[–] StoneyPicton@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

Governments have both the ability to punish and reward. I'm simply trying to promote the latter. Now, one thing I loath is using taxpayer funds to help companies make money, so the research and implementation of a better way has to include an equity stake, or outright ownership.