May I also add some "wisdom" to this thread?

I agree, alternative energy sources have to be found and/or developped to a more practical and effective way of usage.
I doubt that saving energy is the solution, this is a one-way street with a dead end.
I also think that what is happening right now in Germany, moving away and abandoning nuclear power is a huge mistake and not thought through too well. It would be better to invest more in nuclear technology research, for example regarding cold fusion, etc.

This planet needs energy and with raising wealthiness in Asia (China, India), our energy needs will increase a lot over the next decades. Saving energy sounds nice and it may help in a way or another to reduce cost. But saving energy will not help us to save the remaining natural resources like oil, gas and coal. We don't need energy saving technology, we need a technology to produce MORE energy MORE efficiently and MORE environmental friendly.

There are many possible sources for energy know but most of them aren't used or not used to their full potential. Why? Because using oil, gas, etc. is still the easiest thing to go and probably (right now) one of the cheapest ways, even if oil prices increased a lot.

Saving energy is the wrong way to go with because the energy we save here in the West, will be soon "eaten" up by other rising economies sooner or later. I don't even want to imagine what will happen when China and India would be at the same per head energy consumption level like we are here in the western world like Europe or the US/Canada.

Abandoning nuclear technology is the biggest mistake because right now, nuclear technology is the only technology which may be able to cope with our future energy needs. Instead of banning it, we should try to make it much safer and especially to find a way to get rid of the nuclear waste much more effective.

This planet can't go back to the stoneage, we NEED energy and we need more and more. The most intelligent approach to this problem is NOT to find better energy saving technologies but to find better and more effective ways to actually produce energy. And I think this is where a lot of mistakes are made.

Regarding the current oil prices: high demand creates high prices. The current Iraq war (btw: the world media accused the US of stealing Iraqi oil, I wonder where this stolen oil is because apparently, it isn't in the US. ), the dumb behaviour of Iran's president, the current high demand in Asia and other countries, etc. increase oil prices.
Look at Saudi Arabia and the region, since the prices went rocket high, a lot of "new" wealth has risen. This isn't about a lack of oil, there still is enough oil available. It is about money and making more money, some people should try to understand this.

What can be done to lower gasoline prices? I know some people will hate me for saying this but I think the only solution lies with the US government: the US has to FORCE their "allies" Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and others in the region to lower their oil prices for the good of the western economy and of coure for the good of future relationships. You can't have the US do the "dirty" work by removing Saddam and keeping up the pressure upon "rogue" countries like Syria/Iran but at the same time, you make incredible profit by charging exaggerated prices for your oil. I'm sorry to say this but somehow the US government is dumb. They are accused of stealing oil...so what the heck...STEAL it. At least use it for supplying the troops in Iraq, this would make a lot of sense.
And like I said before, the oil producing countries should understand that high oil prices sooner or later put a huge amount of pressure upon world economy. Considering the current slow economy in Europe and Germany, I doubt this is a good thing to happen.

I know that markets are about demand and availability and that governments shouldn't interfere. But I think that the current oil price is a little bit "blown up" artificially and the oil producers could be put under enough pressure from various governments to lower it at least below 60 USD a barrel.

But I'm not an expert and maybe everything I said is BS. This is just the way I see it, wrong or not.