[rgbrenner]

Why would we need to compensate them (Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and other owners) when it's our demand that gives them the ability to sell their product. Since the value of their oil reserves is tens (if not a hundred+) trillion dollars.. it would be cheaper to simply give everyone in the US and Europe a free electric car.

Edit: 100 trillion is so much money.. that we could literally replace every car in the entire world (1 billion cars) with a free tesla and still have money left over.

[danieltillett]

Yes the money involved is massive, but the way politics works is those with something to lose have far more power than those that will gain from any change. This is why tax reform is so difficult. The owners of all the fossil fuels are effectively able to veto all change unless we pay them off. If this is the case lets get on with buying them off.