I have a better idea. Let’s make driving to the store a net positive for the environment, and then people can do it as much as they damn well please.

Considering the overall environmental impact of any personal vehicle on the street, regardless of power source, that seems like a close to impossible task.

Public transit seems like a promising solution, but only goes so far. With the strong automotive industry here in Germany, there is no incentive to get cars off the streets.

> Let’s make driving to the store a net positive for the environment.

Impossible. Even if the car is powered by renewable electricity, each trip to the store contributes to wear and tear on the vehicle, and the parts on the vehicle were almost certainly not produced with renewable energy but with polluting sources, and plus the industrial process producing them likely produces some toxic waste.

They meant by pricing the externalities. An emissions trading scheme can mean that carbon-emitting activities just displace each other. A carbon tax can mean that carbon-emitting activities can result in net reductions in emissions. Road user charges, taxes on vehicles bought, you get the picture.