ABSTRACT
Ask some environmental advocates and they might say “absolutely nothing”,1 given its ruinous consequences for the planet, but it’s certain that a majority of people treasure its attainment. Even those who intentionally, rather than by circumstance, chose a minimalist existence know they can at any time return to a life of plenty. The conundrum of our time is the way improvement in some aspects of human living contributes to decline in others. It recognizes that this decline is real, takes seriously the consequences of such decline, and engages in a mature conversation about its resolution.
