ABSTRACT
Sustainable tomorrows mean transitions today. Americans have a pivotal role to play in this process. This chapter discusses for making such transitions. It examines how civilization’s struggles have led to over-exploitation of land and a virtual dependency upon carbon based burning. The chapter explores the new potential for taking corrective action. It provides several conceptual frameworks that embrace the larger societal transitions that are required. The chapter introduces both inner and outer routes for transitioning. It also presents some underlying assumptions about the urban energy choices that lay ahead, if a transition to life sustaining society is to have its beginnings today. One focus for transitioning to sustainable urbanization is embodied energy. Contemporary urbanization is acutely dependent upon energy and land derived resource consumption. Acid tolerant forests will have to be planted all over the urbanized world.
