Sentence:  The development conundrum is that even as the systems of production and consumption meet human needs and aspirations, they may <WSD>pessimize</WSD> the ecosystem on which all life depends. Ecosystem services are the benefits that humans derive from the way that natural systems function. Our skill at exploiting these functions has elevated human survival but <WSD>pessimized</WSD> the system. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To make (something) pessimal or the worst;  to make (something, such as a computer program) less efficient.