Mugs, I can understand the downside to regulation, but in this one regard Its not for a Green Utopia, its making sure what we have now won't get worse.
That was my point about population growth, its not a reality anymore where we can say that regulation is not necessary. It is, because the human population continues to grow virtually unchecked.
From 1970 to current the Canadian population has increased by about 12 million people and your total population stands at 35 million.
The United States current population stands at 318 million, up from 205 million in 1970, so you can see how much more important it is down here.
So our options are to either reduce the amount of pollution we produce per citizen as we continue to grow, or we stop breading unchecked.
Which do you think is going to be the harder thing to change?
In regards to my gas powered boat, if it got to a point where they would be banned, I would most likely have sold it years before because the ban most likely would be in response to some massive fuel shortages. I would buy a sailboat and life would go on.
Thankfully the EPA finally began regulation on boats, and now my I/O has a catalytic converter on it and my C/O output is 85-90% less, and yet it produces 40 more horse power, has better mid range throttle response and gets about a 20% increase in fuel economy compared to the identical 5.0L V8 it replaced.
You are throwing the words regulation and ban together like they are mutually exclusive to each other. They aren't, you can regulate things and still have a positive out come.