Here is a detailed and valuable discussion on the science and economics of weaning the nation off oil by Amory Lovins. The CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute - an entrepreneurial nonprofit organization that researches sustainable solutions for the economy - Lovins gives a long but exacting lecture on the readily available solutions that we have for reducing oil consumption today, and gives the business case for adopting them. In lay terms, he provides genuine facts, authentic analysis, and genuine solutions to the oil dependency that is draining our pockets and destroying the environment. Here's his bio from Wiki:

Amory Bloch Lovins was trained in physics and has worked professionally as an environmentalist. He is co-CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Lovins has been one of the most influential American voices advocating a "soft energy path" for the U.S. and other nations. He has been able to assemble a very impressive array of facts, computations, economic-analyses, forecasts, and arguments that appeal on a common-sense level. He has advocated energy-use and energy-production concepts based, on one hand, on conservation and efficiency, and on the other, on the use of renewable sources of energy and on generation of energy at or near the site where the energy is actually used.

The chat is an hour and a half long so get comfy. Real Player plugin required.