Every generation has its moment, some turning point that will mark its place in the historical record. Such points provide the direction of our history and our future. Turning points are, characteristically, times of turmoil based on a fundamental change in models or events--what Thomas Kuhn called a "paradigm shift." In terms of a democratic society, the ebb and flow of "e pluribus unum" has been a tug-of-war between the public and the private, between the common good and the individual, between federal and state rights. "Out of many, one" continues to challenge the democratic society in the 21st century. A new turning point has begun, even as one continues to struggle with the old. In this paradigm shift, teacher education is at its own turning point from whence one can foster environmentally literate teacher candidates who will embed education for sustainability in ways that prepare the young and this planet to flourish.