Maybe I'm the ignorant one but are you conflating gas from oil with natural gas, which actually has been driven to record low prices[1], so much so that utilities have switched from coal to natural gas at such a fast pace that it reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by a considerable amount in 2012[2]? "Prices as high as ever and destroy the environment as a bonus" may be doubly wrong.
You would be correct. Gasoline comes from Oil using a process called cracking which separates out the heavier components from the lighter ones used to fuel cars. Natural gas (not from oil) has prices that are still extremely low in North America.
It's still a tragic waste showing gluttonous consumption. If North America were to switch cars/homes over to natural gas then they would solve two problems, 1. Reduce emissions from Oil use 2. Not be so damn wasteful.
Prices of gas from oil are at all time high (except irregularities). Draw a line on that chart above to see.
Every penny gas goes up extracts millions from the economy.
Natural gas prices being so low is why they are burning it off instead of investing in the equipment to capture it - because no-one dares regulate their massive profit from oil.
[1]http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2011/12/abundant-natural-gas-lea...
[2]http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/02/us-emissions-idUSB...