What if we never had fossil fuels? Would society be recognizable as “high-tech”? Our sustainable future will share many of the characteristics of a society that never had coal, gas, or oil to begin with. As a 42-year veteran of higher education (on both sides of the classroom), John has dedicated his professional life to advancing the understanding of important issues for his engineering students and the general public. John enjoys hiking, fly-fishing, and riding his bikes (both as a commuter and on the trails). He hopes his grandchildren won’t grow up to resent what his generation left them. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.