Acharya Prashant addresses the concept of sustainable development, stating that it is fundamentally flawed because its core is the tendency to consume. He explains that sustainable development is about consuming in a way that allows for long-term consumption, which he likens to the advice, "Eat, but eat in such a way that you can eat for a long time." This approach, he argues, does not question the act of consumption itself or explore a relationship with nature that is not based on exploitation. He compares this to campaigns against female foeticide that argue for saving girls so they can become brides, which is still about using them for gratification, not respecting them. Similarly, a butcher cares for his goat to get more meat, not out of love. The speaker asserts that humans have accepted their animalistic nature as their true identity. The life of an animal like a donkey is about grazing and mating; humans have simply applied their intelligence to sharpen this tendency for gratification. Our species has the gift of intelligence, but we have used it to become more efficient consumers, like a gorilla in a suit working on a laptop. He points to the term "humane slaughter" as another example of this flawed logic, where animals are killed "humanely" to make their meat more tender, which is still for human consumption. Acharya Prashant explains that there are two centers of life: the animalistic center, driven by enjoyment, and the center of the Self (Atma). Intelligence can serve either. When it serves the animal, it leads to concepts like green technology, which is just a way to sustain consumption. The real solution, he suggests, is Self-knowledge (Atma-gyan). When you know who you are, you will know what you truly need, which is not unlimited consumption. Only the Self can give rise to true love and compassion, whereas the animal can only have attachment. He criticizes the modern approach of seeking more experiences—like travel, entertainment, and relationships—to cure inner emptiness, calling it the wrong medicine in a larger dose. He states that the only way out is to turn inwards and understand the mind, a simple solution he found in Vedanta. He concludes that if the mind is pure, everything is enjoyable, but if there is a fire burning within, no external activity like scuba diving can bring peace.