ChazMaz, you are wrong. We are talking about environmental degradation. The western world is responsible for something like 70% (not sure of the exact number but its big) of the world’s waste. We externalize all our problems to third world countries including our waste and our pollution. I suggest you check out the documentary “The Story of Stuff”.
kjc1971, we discussed this type of question in my university environmental course. And basically, god help us if that happens. The western world doesn’t even have that much of a population and yet we’ve shredded this planet into pieces. The developing countries have more of a sustainable lifestyle at the moment. They don’t own 3 cars per household, or 3 ACs, 20 printers, things there are easier to fix than to replace. More people resuse and recycle. But you know that in America, it is easier to buy a new printer than to fix it, or a refrigerator. I have seen people throw out perfectly good furniture when they are moving out. Just thrown like that.
Our economy is built on consumerism which leads to environmental degradation.
This is why there is an ever increasing demand to lower our carbon emissions, because when India and China adopt an American style of living, we’re going to need to learn to be humble in our living.