The essential thing is to find ways of living that don't involve using masses of power, no matter how it is generated. Technical fixes that ignore that just shift the problem around.

Easy. Have a big war and kill off 75 or 80% of the world's population.

Given present population levels, however, you're going to continue to need mechanized agriculture, big trucks and railroads to transport the food, massive aqueducts to take fresh water to where the people are, etc. ad infinitum. I'll grant, you could cut a substantial proportion of power use by just eliminating such things as recreational travel and toys like snowmobiles and ATVs. And letting the grass grow instead of using power mowers - you not only eliminate the mower exhaust, but the grass will "eat" more CO. But as long as population continues to increase, those are only stopgap measures.

On the other hand, population increase is slowing in many nations, and is already below replacement level in some. Endless population growth until there's a collapse is now longer a given.

I'd kinda like to go canoing in Times Square, myself.

Peter.