Consuming more or consuming less

During the twentieth century, the global population increased by 6 billions (four times more) and the industrial production increased by a factor 40. Our energy consumption went up by a factor 16 and CO² emissions by a factor 10. In this context, it is crucial to wonder if our current consumption pattern will endanger the living standards of future generations to come. The conclusion seems to be that it is not so much our consumption level that will endanger our well-being in the long run, but rather the composition of what we consume (e.g. polluting goods versus less polluting goods)