The pursuit of capitalist accumulation could not be carried out indefinitely, since it is not self-sustaining in terms of resources. While some resources are intrinsically scarce, most are not, in the sense that, except for the basic requirements of bodily existence, "scarcity" is relative to socially defined needs and to the demands of specific lifestyles.

Anthony Giddens, The Consequences of Moderni…, loc. 387