When they state in this article that the goal is a price of $144.00 per barrel they must be pulling that number out of thin air. It is not based on any economic reality.

The truth is: If the price of oil goes just a little above where it is now, new alternatives begin to be developed and oil consumption begins to go down quickly. (Yes Gore's argument had some validity...But I think that the market and not government should push those alternatives.)

Like you said, people can simply drive less. The elasticity of demand is to high for the price to ever hit $144.00 per barrel thus any source that says it will should be discarded.