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The reality is that in the near term we will require additional oil to continue our way of life...
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Seems to me that's a big part of the problem right there. What exactly is so great about the current American way of life that we should continue at any cost, instead of looking at ways in which we might actually improve quality of life while using less fuel?
I think most people have things just backwards, because they're stuck on the idea that a lot of oil is necessary for everything. That for instance 30 mpg is really good fuel economy, that personal transportation has to be this big chunk of metal that also compensates for all your insecurities, that stuff has to be hauled in diesel-powered trucks, long-distance travel has to be in jet airplanes, and so on.
Raise the price of oil, and people start thinking outside the box, as we've seen in this last price increase. They start to wonder for instance whether they really need to be driving a Hummer, when doing so costs more than they can afford - and some might even begin to wonder why they ever thought they wanted one in the first place. When the price of heating oil goes through the roof, some people start insulating their houses, and find that in addition to lower bills they have a pleasanter place to live because they don't have to listen to the furnace or A/C run all the time. Start riding a bike instead of driving, and you not only save on gas, you lose weight & gain fitness... And so on down the line.