That gas-price ‘record’ really isn’t one (or is it?)

Larry Goulder, a Stanford University professor, said the true costs of the country’s driving-dominated culture are hidden, and that Americans actually pay much more for gasoline than the price they see at the pump.

Among the hidden costs he cited are military expenses of protecting Persian Gulf and other oil supplies; health care expenses to treat asthma, cancer and other diseases tied to auto emissions; and expenses to prevent or repair related environmental damage.

Richard Heinberg, author of a 2003 book on the depletion of world oil reserves, said politicians seeking public office in the United States can’t disclose the true cost of gasoline because Americans wouldn’t accept it.

The Bee