Imagined lifeways in North America ca. 2100

Abstract

North America is one of the key regions from which both anthropogenic climate change and culture shift emanate. Together, these change agents are speeding the reformulation of beliefs and social structures, making public discourse a critical arena of contestation. This chapter charts a course through the competing public discourses on climate change and sustainability, arguing for a greater focus on the flourishing of both humans and non-humans. Attention is given to two key components of everyday lifeways: settlement systems and food systems. The chapter explores three alternative futures for North American lifeways in 2100: a “stay the course” alternative beset by continualsocio-environmental crises, a Promethean scenario that would face headwinds of both culture shift and ecological realities, and a soft path of bioregionalist sustainability.