The way we habitually approach problems can prevent us from finding a solution. If we always seek only to break problems down into manageable chunks and then to solve these we can 'create problems out of nothing'. It is the cheapest way to be rid of it.
Synthetic fertilisers are expensive, water polluting but convenient.
They are essential to modern intensive agriculture. The search for new oil reserves and new fuel sources continues, as it must. We need the energy to heat our homes. The solution 'society' adopts is to regard each of these three problems as a significant problem in itself. So, it breaks the problem into manageable chunks, and approaches each part of the problem as a challenge in itself.