Things that can be done now to relieve the gasoline price crisis:

Broadening my earlier post, here are some things that can be accomplished right now to help relieve the supply and demand issue with crude oil and gasoline:

The United States Government could mandate that all vehicles designed for the purpose of hauling and transporting cargo be hybrid, alternative fuel, or pure electric.  This would include tractor trailers, locomotives, panel trucks and vans, flat bed and stake bed trucks, and any other purpose built vehicle for cargo carrying.

The law can be made to stipulate that it applies to vehicles used for the purpose of hauling any goods and supplies for the purpose of commerce. Basically if you earn or charge money to haul cargo, then the vehicles used to do so must be hybrid, alternative, or electric.

Vehicles which routinely haul over longer distances would likely benefit from hybrid engines or alternative fuels, while inner city and short haul transports would probably do well as pure electric. This would reduce inner city pollution as well as reduce noise produced by large vehicles.

Locomotives can use hybrids easily, since there is plenty of space and capacity for batteries. Hybrid engines are not a new thing, and have been used in naval applications for years. (Submarines have used hybrid engines in several forms nearly from their birth. Diesel electric, Nuclear steam turbine and electric...) 

If the government would take some simple common sense steps, they could enact a plan that would dramatically reduce pollution, dramatically reduce consumption of fuels, dramatically reduce spending on fuels, and immediately create an infrastructure for alternative fuels and electric powered transportation. These things in combination would FORCE the oil cartels to lower prices in order to continue to sell their products.

If the American consumer is provided several lower cost alternatives to the standard internal combustion engine, that will be good for the environment as well as resulting in costs savings over time, the you can be sure they would choose the alternative in a heartbeat.

Mandating that Taxicabs be alternative fuel vehicles in every city in America for instances would dramatically alter consumption nation wide, not to mention providing a cleaner ride.

More food for thought!