There are, however, circumstances where exhausting the productivity of certain lands is a rational choice. This fact reveals that a strict adherence to our definition of sustainability could actually result in irrational decision-making. That is all very well in theory, some might say, but the reality has been massive degradation. The truth is that the overwhelming amount of environmental damage has been caused by political meddling that badly distorted the market process. A view that finds little acceptance among 'conservationists' who are hell-bent on indicting the free market for all our environmental ills.
Private property is fundamental to the market process.
But for ownership to be real a person's property must have the protection of the law. In other words, the law must prevent others from invading, stealing, damaging, etc, the property of others. It will come as a surprise to some to learn this is not the case. The failure of the state to properly protect the property of its citizens is the root cause of the environmental damage that greens now complain about because it creates an open loop. Salinity is good example of what I mean.