So now ethanol prices are collapsing, because there's no way to get the ethanol distributed to lots of cars quickly and as a result demand isn't materializing.

The economy isn't going to go green (let's not debate just now how green is corn) unless supply, distribution, and demand are all addressed.

Ethanol has a distribution problem. But solar, for instance, has a pricing problem. What is the long run outlook for solar pricing?

We can't swear off oil unless pricing is reasonably dependable for alternative energy sources. No one is going to invest really big money in alternatives unless they can predict prices with some certainty.

None of these problems is too hard to solve, but merely saying we need a carbon tax doesn't produce distribution for ethanol. Merely saying we want to tax carbon doesn't suppress the market demand for oil even at a 25% increase in price (what is now being predicted and prepared for.

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From the Wall St Journal:

PAGE ONE
How Economy
Could Survive Oil
At $100 a Barrel
Compared to 1980, U.S.
Is More Able to Handle
Once-Unthinkable Rise
***********************************

So if the economy can "handle" $100 a barrel oil, then what level of carbon tax would be required to shift demand from oil to green energy? A $100 barrel price would be roughly a 25% increase over today's level.

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CGI is one of the greatest shows on earth, but what is particularly admirable is former President Clinton's focus on addressing global warming. He's plainly a convert to former Vice President Gore's mission. He's implying that his wife's administration would undertake major transformation in the global economy: that's bold and exciting.