Today, the Earth is facing a massive threat in the form of a climate crisis and it is believed by many that the most efficient way to tackle the world’s environmental issue is by augmenting fuel prices. Conservationists would deem this method to be effective and I agree with this notion; however, up to an extent, as it heavily impacts the livelihood of the poor people.
On the one hand, it is a potent solution to increase the rate of crude commodities like oil since that would force people to try alternative methods of transportation and in turn reduce their carbon emissions. Fostering the habit of cycling and carpooling for instance could be the go-to method. The Netherlands is one such country to have adopted the systemic approach by inflating the fuel prices thereafter urging the nation to take up cycling and subsequently becoming a greener nation. Additionally, it would also discourage people from purchasing automobiles that run on petrol or diesel and encourage them to switch to electric vehicles.
On the other hand, the obvious reason why a hike in fuel rates would not be a better solution for humanity is that it could worsen poverty. People with meagre incomes and daily wage earners would have a hard time saving their salary for their basic needs if their travelling expenses increase. Besides, the fuel price determines the market prices of other essential commodities, and increasing the price can affect poor and middle class families. If this practice were to take place in India, for instance, there would be a spike in the number of families struggling to afford food and household essentials.
In conclusion, increasing the price of petrol can certainly help reduce environmental pollution to some degree; however, I feel that educating people about the ill effects of the overuse of natural resources and encouraging them to use alternative methods would be a better solution in handling this issue as it will not further deteriorate the life of the poor.