Visions towards 21st C Post Oil society

I don't want to sound a depressing note, so early, but really, this graph shows that Sustainability is a VERY important topic. It is about our very survival. You can see why if you view a wonderful, albeit terribly scary lecture on this very topic by Lee Morris, of WS Atkins, given at the CTBUH Dubai Congress. http://www.blip.tv/file/1118768   But have we, or the Earth itself actually gone over the tipping point? Architects can do 'this and that' with new buildings, and new ecotowns, but what about the 98% of buildings and cities that already exist?
How can the earth cope with the huge and still growing population, in a world where we can no longer accept high deathrates? This lecture deserves to be listened to in full!
This is the topic with which we will be starting the Architectural Research Methods working group.