Our resource and energy over-use must be resolved by making smarter use of the resources. Replacing all our energy derived from fossil fuels by renewables is only part of the answer. We also need to reduce total consumption.
Part of this can be acheived by replacing housing stock with more efficient buildings containing more efficient applieances but halving energy use in constructing and running a house will reduce the total resource consumption by less than 20%. Since about a third of energy consumption is on transportation, building homes nearer where people work, shop and socialise can make a larger saving.
This requires a more holistic view of how people live and work. It verges more on social science, with a bit of economics, than sound engineering principles that we are used to.
