To me it's quite simple. It's everything you've said. Our global systems are built on trade and growth. This requires making and transporting stuff. This process (making/transporting) has resulted in centuries of pumping out all kinds of nasty stuff into the atmosphere, into the oceans etc etc. And now the western world has the audacity to try and lecture the (still developing) world as to why it shouldn't be pumping this stuff out, after we did it for decades and built our wealth through doing so.
As someone else touched on, it's ironic we use the phrase 'save the planet', the planet wouldn't have required saving if we hadn't f**ked it up in the first place.
Referring specifically to the planet and its welfare, as I touched on previously, it would be significantly better off if the human race simply ceased to exist. And, given we never seem to fully learn from our mistakes as a collective (I'm also referring to the wider debate of mans inhumanity to man), I tend to think it would be a good thing if we didn't exist either. From a planetary perspective, we'll only ever be a drain on its resources and a negative to its environment. Mankind can never be a positive in that regard.
We're no better as of 2021, although at least awareness is gaining traction. We still love the fact we can 'buy stuff cheap' with scant regard as to the environmental and social impact. And before you start moaning, I'm using a broad brush. I know there are many trying to make a positive change. And we still seem to think it's something to boast about when we've developed yet another machine/device that is designed to kill dozens, hundreds or thousands of people. 'This tank can kill someone from 5 miles away, OH YEAH!!!'
