What global trend in the late 20th and early 21st centuries contributed to greater environmental degradation?

• A. Changes in global migration patterns
• B. Innovations in military technology
• C. The increased incidence of regional conflicts and civil wars
• D. The rise of increasing numbers of people into the middle class

Answer: (D)

Rising global wealth and more people joining the middle class leads to greater consumption of energy, land, water, and manufactured goods. As incomes grow, households buy more cars, electronics, processed foods, and new appliances, and cities expand to accommodate urban living. This extra demand pushes more fossil fuel use, resource extraction, farming and land conversion, and waste generation, all of which contribute to pollution, habitat loss, and climate pressures on a global scale. The trend is reinforced by globalization and rapid industrialization in many regions, making environmental impact spread across borders.

Other options touch on factors that can influence the environment in specific places or contexts, but they don’t explain the widespread global shift in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as directly as the broad rise in middle-class consumption does.