Do you really need to be reminded that burning gas harms the environment?

The Seattle City Council is considering a move that might make people feel guilty for driving.

The council expressed its interest in requiring stickers on gas pumps that remind drivers that burning fuel harms the environment.

Council member Mike O’Brien could draft the legislation, using San Francisco as the model, The Seattle Times reports. The council sent a letter to a San Francisco board of supervisors advising them as such. The letter was signed by eight Seattle council members; with Tom Rasmussen objection, the Times reports.

Supports of the stickers tell the Times that the warning would be similar to that on packs of cigarettes. As to be expected, an oil-industry lobbying group has protested the idea in the past, arguing that a law would be unconstitutional. It would force gas stations to support political opinions.

KIRO Radio’s Tom Tangney: I think the fact that you’re selling gas in Seattle &#8212 already this liberal enclave &#8212 I wouldn’t be surprised if there are gas station owners who would say, “What the hell…” I don’t think it would do that much harm if it really is not expensive. I’m not sure that gas station owners would think, “Oh my God, if people look at that too closely they are going to stop buying my gas and stop driving.” No, this is sort of a philosophical suggestion.

John Curley: So government is now in the business of philosophy?

TT: Yeah. In this case … People who object to this say you’re basically pushing a political agenda. A lot of people say the climate change issue is not a political agenda, it is a reality. It’s a general census. The question is, if climate change can be addressed, is it helpful that yes, what we’re doing is probably not the best for the environment?

JC: That means that other cities that get cold elsewhere in the country would have to start putting warning labels on light switches. Next to your power box, there would be a warning on there saying your electricity is being generated by the burning of fossil fuels; coal is one of the biggest contributors of C02.

And we’d also have warnings on meat: Do you realize this cow produces X amount of flatulence, which throws C02 into the atmosphere. So there would be warning labels on your hamburgers, warning you that the cow you’re about to consume farted out a certain amount of C02.

TT: If you have too many warning they lose their impact.