Using reputation to save the earth

I don't agree with legislation to put warning labels on cigarettes, but if we're going to warn people about the highly harmful effects of smoking, why not warn people about the inefficiency of their cars? David Rand and Martin Nowak argue that it could help the climate problem:

Even better than voluntary displays would be laws enforcing disclosure. For example, governments could require energy companies to publish the amount of electricity used by each home and business in a searchable database. Likewise, gasoline use could be calculated if, at yearly inspections, mechanics were required to report the number of miles driven. Cars could be forced to display large stickers indicating average distance traveled, with inefficient cars labeled similarly to cigarettes: "Environmentalist's warning: This car is highly inefficient. Its emissions contribute to climate change and cause lung cancer and other diseases." Judging from our laboratory research, such policies would motivate people to reduce their carbon footprint.

Sounds dreadful. There's something awfully annoying about regulatory efforts to help taxpayers with their consumer decisions. But apparently people like this sort of thing. How strange.