I see a simple path, but modern civilization(colonialist extraction economix) doesn't like such a thing as reality or physical labor.

The simple path is to put all of civilization's overhead into VAT(sales tax) and pay the revenue back into natural resources and knowledge (the only wealth that matters 7 generations forward). In other words, reverse what we know as The Economy of Stupid.

Energy is being used to make Cheap food, cheap people and a lot of shiny noisy crap we don't need.

I absolutely don't believe this alternate will happen, but you asked what can be imagined.

Back to your regular scheduled programming of useless human tricks.