The world consists of two things: nature and civilization. Both are amazing accomplishments. The first is either creation of God or product of billions of years of evolution, and the second owes to the hard work of billions of people. Both deserve to be treated with care and respect.
Nature contains things of greater richness and variety than anything that people have ever created, and it is wrong to blindly plunder it for gain that is realized better by using smarter technologies. Civilization also contains great accomplishments, and it is wrong to militate against business and technology. Both worlds need to be affirmed.
The people who think that attention to the environment works against progress are wrong. Progress means moving from brainless, destructive technologies to brain-intensive, non-destructive ones. The people who think that technology works against nature are also wrong. Higher-end technologies such as computers save vastly on natural resources.
Of ancient civilizations, the ones who understood such things the best were the Incas. They built an advanced civilization while taking care of nature. The wisdom of the Incas should be informative today.
In the human being, there is the emotional-sexual aspect that is congruent with nature and the intellectual-volitional aspect that is congruent with the civilization. Man is both an animal and a rational creator. When the two aspects work together, complete existence is achieved. I've seen this done best at the Burningman festival. There, people were free to be in their natural aspect, often naked, while enjoying the benefits of technology. The best of nature combined with the best of civilization to create an unforgettable experience.
Capitalists and environmentalists are frequently in conflict, but really they are on the same side. They are on the side of life, and they seek to contribute to and enjoy life. They just see different aspects of what life is. One sees nature, and the other sees civilization. I want to see a biophilic alliance between capitalists and environmentalists affirming life in both aspects.
This will result in benefit to both nature and civilization and to people as beings of both. And both the world and people within it will benefit.