All,
If you are at all interested in this subject (as I passionately am) then I urge you, no make that beg you, to read a book called Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. It is the most profound book I have ever read. It looks at how we, as a culture not as a species, have ended up where we are.
Here's a link to Daniel Quinns website with a little synopsis of Ishmael:
http://www.ishmael.com/Origins/Ishmael/
I can honestly say that it has changed my perception and the perception of those who I have recommended/given it to. You will find that our apparently selfish and greedy actions can be shown to be a natural progression of our cultural mythology that was born out of what archaeologists and historians call "The Agricultural Revolution".
All the talk about going "Back to the Primitive" is a bit misleading. Some cultures still live the way they have lived for hundreds of thousands of years. Sadly these cultures are being squeezed by our cultures ever swelling greed for land and resources.
If we want to change the way we live then developing renewable energy, recycling more, reducing air travel etc, is not the answer. Granted these are all actions that are admirable but, they are, to use one of Daniel Quinn's analogies, like placing sticks in a river to try and stop the flow. If our culture is to survive then we need to change peoples minds and revisit the mythology that it is based on.