What happened in the Gulf and is happening throughout the former Soviet Empire mustn't blind us to the likelihood of mass destruction. Every country that wants a nuclear capability now has it, or soon will have it. At the same time, biological and chemical weapons are proliferating at a terrifying pace. True, the answer for a few countries has been economic growth. But this, a known so far, cannot be repeated by all the world.
Capitalism is inherently prodigal of resources.
It discounts future needs for present gains. Look how the economic development of only Western Europe and North America has affected the planet. Vital and irreplaceable reserves have been depleted. The rain forests have been all but destroyed. The ozone layer has been punctured.