I don’t think anyone doubts the human race’s ability to adapt and improve, and utilise tools so their life got easier.

What Clare implies here is that our desire to make life easier by adding increased levels of complexity comes at a non-monetary cost to the environment.

The car makes it easier for us to get from A to B than walking, but that car took an astronomical amount of energy and difficult to refine resources to achieve the same.

Profit is good until it goes from trade to theft. Then it’s bad.

CHRIS

The animals use their muscle power to lift objects, humans use hydraulic power. Animals use their legs to run, humans use cars. Animals use their wings to fly, humans use airplanes. Animals use their claws to dig, humans use excavators. Animals use their beak to stitch, humans use sewing machines. If human existence were hand to mouth, as in undeveloped economies, these tools that made possible for humans to live a secure and comfortable life on earth would not have been possible.

These tools were possible because someone had more capital than his basic necessities. These tools were possible, because of profit. So profit is Good. It is profit that made us human.