ABSTRACT
The first rule of engineering is: know what problem you are working on. The first rule of transition engineering is to work on changing existing systems that have unsustainable energy and material use. The mega-problems of unsustainability are global warming and the decline in the world’s conventional oil resources. Since the energy and environmental crises in the 1970s, some engineers have pursued sustainable development. But sustainable development is not working. Chapter 1 explores the history of sustainable development; the idea of working to prevent what is preventable, as in safety engineering; the parameters of unsustainable global warming of more than 1.5°C; and the exhaustion of conventional oil.
