We need car recycling rules

Politicians love to give away money and in the United States and Germany they're giving away billions of dollars and euros to people who buy a new car to replace an older less efficient one.

The U.S. government's $1-billion (U.S.) Cash for Clunkers program is so popular it has burned through all the money allocated and politicians are scrambling to add more money to the budget. Germany planned to spend €1.5-billion ($2.3-billion Canadian) to get clunkers off their roads, but with an election coming in September the government quickly increased the dough available to €5-billion.

It's an irresistible political combination - replace older polluting cars with up-to-date clean ones and stimulate the economy at the same time. In the United States, a buyer can receive up to $4,500 (U.S.); in Germany, it maxes out at €2,500 ($3,800 Canadian).

In Canada, the feds have a miserly program called Retire Your Ride that provides a free bus pass or a discount on a bicycle which can be worth the princely sum of $300 for putting your old wreck out of its misery. But this is a possible election year in Canada, too, and Environment Minister Jim Prentice has said he's thinking about boosting the free money available to U.S. or German standards.


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