I responded to Sunday's editorial, "A missing evolutionary link", championing Darwin's theory of evolution, by pointing out the most important, but largely overlooked implication of that theory: the fact that modern society and its economy are both deeply rooted in mankind's own animal nature, which free-market Capitalism has developed and been deliberately honed to exploit (Darwin's champions are missing the most important point).

Gretchen Morgenson's article on executive pay (Outside Advice on Boss's Pay May Not Be So Independent) in Monday's NYT well illustrates my argument, revealing executives to be simply following their natural drive (behaviour that evolved over millions of years) to exploit the socio-economic environment to the greatest extent possible (which crucially, but again, in its implications, largely unrecognised, has effectively replaced the natural environment), using their (or their lawyers') prodigious, but primitive, unenlightened intelligence to rationalise and justify their irrational and unjustifiable behaviour.

They get away with it, because we all evolved to envy and respect (or fear) those with power (money now being its civilised and most versatile form), and because to do otherwise would contradict the system of values, attitudes and aspirations on which our entire socio-economic order is based. No one wants to alter too radically or undermine a socio-economic order and environment on which they too depend completely, in which they have massive vested interests, and occupy privileged niches.

Our planet is already groaning under the drain and strain being placed on its finite resources and carrying capacity by an ever increasing number of technically empowered, but essential insatiable  human beings, exemplified by the phenomenon of executive compensation. If our most "successful" sons and daughters, our greatest and most revered "achievers", can never have enough wealth and power, why should anyone else (other than a loser) be satisfied with anything less than they can get?

In short, we depend on an economy and way of life which are deeply rooted in our own animal nature, and as a consequence of which are inherently unsustainable.

Is this a cause for concern? It most certainly is.

We can continue refusing to face up to it, of course, allowing those of us who have already reached middle age, perhaps, to enjoy our retirement and get safely into our graves, before a ruthless mother nature does the job of achieving sustainability for us. On the other hand, if we care about our children and coming generations (as many claim they do), it is high time we faced up to the situation and the immense challenge it presents us with.