the true cost of petroleum

Calculating the true cost
If the full cost of the impact of many everyday items were reflected in the price, we'd be paying a lot more
Fiona Anderson, Vancouver Sun



In the neighbourhood of $1.25 a litre, Lower Mainland commuters are crying the gas-guzzler blues. But that price is actually a steal, with the polluting public being subsidized to the tune of as much as $3 per litre.
Because if that tankful of gas combined all the costs of getting it to the pump -- including increased pollution, global warming, and health consequences of bad air -- the price could be as much as $4.43 a litre ($15.14 US a gallon), according to a study by the International Center for Technology Assessment.
While some of the costs, like U.S. tax subsidies, wouldn't apply in Canada, most would. And economists say if we are to save the planet, those costs must be reflected in the pump price.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=0313d9c9-6fa1-420c-b20e-4a84392a9426&p=3