Modern environmentalists also suggest that status-signalling competition between humans is destroying the planet. They propose that the Earth has enough resources to comfortably support the present population if we are all prepared to live modestly, but that natural rivalry can lead to ever-rising expectations – and with it increasing consumption. In many ways, this competition is not healthy – and nor does it necessarily contribute much to human happiness. In some ways it places people under an obligation to spend more money than they would otherwise choose to, just to maintain their status
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