FRONT MATTER

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As an independent science writer, I work without the institutional support typically necessary for complex nonfiction projects. I have no research assistants, no subject matter experts, no in house editors, and no fact checking department. To compensate, I relied on Microsoft Copilot as a multi role colleague throughout the development of this book.

More specifically, I used Copilot in four distinct ways:

  • Concept Development and Brainstorming I used Copilot as a thinking partner to explore large, interdisciplinary ideas such as climate systems, evolutionary psychology, energy transitions, and communication theory.
  • Resource Identification Copilot assisted in locating relevant scientific literature, historical sources, technical documentation, and policy references. This allowed me to quickly expand the scope of my research beyond what a single writer could gather alone within a reasonable time line.
  • Fact Checking and Verification Every claim in this book was subjected to a fact checking pass using Copilot’s search and synthesis capabilities. This included verifying scientific statements, historical timelines, policy details, and technical descriptions.
  • Copyediting and ProofreadingCopilot provided line level editing, clarity improvements, structural suggestions, and consistency checks. It functioned as a combined copyeditor and proofreader, helping refine the prose to publication quality.

Although I often read comments from writers saying they would never use an AI bot for any purpose, I found that using AI to help me with my research and for monitoring the quality of my writing to be immensely helpful

WHERE WE ARE AND HOW WE GOT HERE

Introduction

Where we are and why we are here.

and a detailed examination of the evidence shows that data collected through the decades are easy to see and understand. The climate has been changing since 1889, and that change has only accelerated over time . . . MORE ON THIS . . .

We are moving toward a circular economy, where more materials are repaired, reused, and recycled. What we currently call “trash” is increasingly recognized as a valuable resource. As a result, far less organic waste will end up in landfills.

Instead, organic waste can be converted into renewable natural gas (RNG). Using processes like anaerobic digestion, municipalities can capture methane from waste streams and turn it into a usable fuel—reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions and displacing fossil fuels.

This isn’t just theoretical. New York City has produced biogas from wastewater for decades and has recently begun upgrading it into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas through projects like the Newtown Creek Renewable Gas Demonstration Project.

So it’s OK… you can keep that gas stove.

Newtown Creek Renewable Natural Gas Project -- NationalGrid

THIS IS OUR FUTURE IN 2050, IF WE DO IT RIGHT.

Households

Your home now operates with a below-zero carbon impact because . . .

In the past, much of our food waste and sewage was sent to landfills and wastewater treatment plants, where it decomposed and released methane, carbon dioxide, and other gases into the atmosphere, along with leachate that can affect soil and groundwater. By 2050, things will be different. . . . MORE ON THIS . . .

We are moving toward a circular economy, where more materials are repaired, reused, and recycled. What we currently call “trash” is increasingly recognized as a valuable resource. As a result, far less organic waste will end up in landfills.

Instead, organic waste can be converted into renewable natural gas (RNG). Using processes like anaerobic digestion, municipalities can capture methane from waste streams and turn it into a usable fuel—reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions and displacing fossil fuels.

This isn’t just theoretical. New York City has produced biogas from wastewater for decades and has recently begun upgrading it into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas through projects like the Newtown Creek Renewable Gas Demonstration Project.

So it’s OK… you can keep that gas stove.

Newtown Creek Renewable Natural Gas Project -- NationalGrid

Electricity is generated from a combination of renewable sources, including utility-scale wind and solar, as well as distributed rooftop systems. Energy storage systems ensure reliable supply even when generation fluctuates. Over time, renewable energy costs declined and storage technologies matured, allowing fossil-based electricity generation to be fully replaced. Household electricity now contributes no net greenhouse gas emissions . . . more. . .

Neighborhoods function as coordinated energy networks known as Virtual Power Plants. Rooftop solar systems, home batteries, electric vehicles, and smart appliances are connected through digital platforms that balance supply and demand in real time. Excess energy generated by one home is distributed across the community, improving efficiency and reducing strain on the grid.

The Grid

Rolling blackouts, spikes, surges, and brownouts are a thing of the past, and electricity is under 9 cents per kilowatt because . . .

Organic waste that was once discarded in landfills is now a primary energy resource. Food waste, municipal solid waste, and sewage are processed in regional facilities to produce renewable natural gas through anaerobic digestion and gasification. This gas is chemically similar to conventional natural gas but is part of a closed carbon cycle, since the carbon originates from recent biological sources rather than fossil reserves. As a result, using it does not introduce new carbon into the atmosphere and reduces emissions that would otherwise occur from decomposition.

Electricity is generated from a combination of renewable sources, including utility-scale wind and solar, as well as distributed rooftop systems. Energy storage systems ensure reliable supply even when generation fluctuates. Over time, renewable energy costs declined and storage technologies matured, allowing fossil-based electricity generation to be fully replaced. Household electricity now contributes no net greenhouse gas emissions.

Neighborhoods function as coordinated energy networks known as Virtual Power Plants. Rooftop solar systems, home batteries, electric vehicles, and smart appliances are connected through digital platforms that balance supply and demand in real time. Excess energy generated by one home is distributed across the community, improving efficiency and reducing strain on the grid.

Moreover, the grid has been rewired:

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LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES

Like our homes, our secondary vehicles have a less than zero carbon footprint because …:

  • • Electric power mostly comes from local microgrids and ethanol and renewable gasoline have become their primary fuel, and …
  • our gasoline is made of hydrogen pulled from water and carbon pulled from the atmosphere using ...
  • wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal energy.

Our primary vehicles will be PHEVs, EREVs, or BEVs, which ...:

  • recharge as we drive, made possible by …
  • inductive chargers embedded in the roads, with a seamless charge facilitated by …
  • the auto’s ability to negotiate with the facility and pay for the charge in advance.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Many of us will abandon our secondary autos because public transport will be so available.

  • An autonomous taxi flies you to a Dallas hotel roof from the airport, and in the morning,
  • an autonomous shuttle stops for you at your hotel to take you to the train station,
  • where you board an electric train in downtown Dallas which takes you to downtown Austin in less than an hour, having emitted no CO2 whatsoever.

Micro busses, autonomous cabs, and free delivery will have eliminated most of our demand for a second auto.

  • As a subscription service, an autonomous micro bus will pick you up at your front door every day, and deliver you to work
  • travelling in platoons in dedicated lanes, they quickly move through traffic
  • carrying you as you work or relax behind a good book.

A lane that carries 2,000 autos per hour could carry 10,000 micro busses travelling at 3-times the speed.

That this is all going to be part of your future is a safe prediction because the truth is that it is all here now.

I hope to explore with you and show you possible paths into amazing futures for us, our children, and our grandchildren. In some of the trails we examine, you might see your future self, but most of the visions will work better for others. For example, when I am discussing battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs), most Americans will find that this path is not good for them yet. Most Americans live in apartments, condos, dorms, rentals, or even vans, and for these people, a BEV might become a burdensome lifestyle. On the other hand, if you live in a dorm, and you come across discussions of future careers in a circular economy, you might want to explore that trail for a bit.