What we need to do in order to become sustainable

Sustainability is a huge topic now a days, especially with the rising prices of oil and other non renewable resources. Eventually the matter we rely on so heavily will run out. This we know is inevitable. If we continue on this linear path of destructive creation, we may never make the breakthroughs and progress we so long for. For example, one of the most popular and imperative inventions of modern society is the automobile. The internal combustion engine is destructive in itself. But not many people think about how we are doing so much 'using' but not at all 'replacing'. Even one of the most simple recreations such as a fire is destructive. We are taking something dead and destroying it completely. Heck, we can't even get rid of the things we've already 'used'. Our landfills are evidence of it but that's not even the real problem. If we could only use things to our advantage without having to destroy them...