Higher gas prices lead to conservation

The flip-side of higher gas prices may be that a lofty goal--conservation of natural resources--may be achieved:

With a gallon of regular up 30 cents from a month ago, to $2.541 on average in the Los Angeles area, and no relief in sight this year, drivers have started to make painful choices in how they adapt to this economic punch to the wallet.

"I've got a daughter who's about to drive, and with the price of insurance and now gas, I'm gonna think twice about buying her a car," said Larry Hoffman, a 60-year-old from Toluca Lake. "Too bad, let the rich kids' parents pay for gas."

Fifteen-year-old Liana Hoffman won't be cut off from transportation -- after all, her dad owns The Pedal Shop, a bike store on Lankershim Boulevard. Her wheels could come in a set of two, rather than four, however, unless prices head south soon.

With the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicting that prices will continue above $2 nationwide for the rest of the year, even gasoline experts are wondering how consumers can cope with the steep hikes.

"That sank my heart," said Jeff Spring, spokesman for the Automobile Club of Southern California, which tracks gas-price movements locally. "It's a paradigm shift if this comes to be. Typically we'd expect prices to spike in California, but if what the EIA says plays through, we're in a new era."

The Auto Club has been advocating increased telecommuting and car-pooling -- suggestions that are likely to take on new meaning for many commuters as they face the prospect of high gas prices over the long term.