Since the 19th Century and the exploitation of fossil fuels rather than burning wood, the forest cover in the USA has exploded and continues to grow. Anyone who has flown in an airliner over, or driven a car through the East Coast can attest to this. 63% of New York State alone is covered by forest. Maine is almost 90%, and West Virginia is almost 80% forested. I live in a city, and the decorative residential trees people planted 120 years ago and since are huge. From the distance residential neighborhoods look like forests. A mature tree is still a tree even if it is in a subdivision.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_cover_by_state_and_territory_in_the_United_States

Indigenous people like the many, many Native American tribes who built quite prosperous casinos in the USA never pursued or even considered economic growth? I must disagree. They almost hunted the beaver to extinction in North America once they had something made out of metal, cloth, or glass to trade for their pelts. Everybody likes stuff, and comfort.

Wanting people to be different than they are is a lifetime of frustration waiting to happen. To win them over, live the way you think everyone should and show them that it's better than what they are doing. Endless complaining is not a winning strategy, since everyone has something to complain about. You have to do something.