I think the same things that have made humans the most powerful animals in the world, are the same things that will eventually lead to our destruction. Except for a few old cultures, we are endlessly inventive, enough is never enough, and we are endlessly adaptable, seemingly able to put up with the mess we are making until it's way too late to do anything about it. That we find it easier to contemplate complex nanotechnology than simply creating less waste is a case in point, to my simple way of thinking.