Your comment got me thinking about if technology is actually better, but that's a whole new discussion. We wouldn't need the fireproof furniture if we all used the local sweat lodge for bathing or the mess hall yurt for cooking. We wouldn't need wind-resistant clothing if we didn't make personal rockets that go 200mph to travel long distances to arrive at the same amenities (just in a different city).
I'd generally agree, but there are always caveats. See e.g. glass vs. plastic bottles - glass looks like strictly superior solution environmentally, until you consider how much fuel is saved across entire logistics chain by plastic bottles being significantly lighter.
> We wouldn't need wind-resistant clothing if we didn't make personal rockets that go 200mph to travel long distances to arrive at the same amenities (just in a different city)
FWIW, I was thinking more about people who like to walk around in windy places, including mountains, etc. But even if we exclude tourists, we're still left with people who work at altitudes (including infrastructure anywhere - get on a high enough pole or roof, it's going to be windy). More generally, there are people doing useful work, including construction, services, and research, in all kinds of extreme environments, and this is directly enabled by post-industrial era fabrics.
Your comment got me thinking about if technology is actually better, but that's a whole new discussion. We wouldn't need the fireproof furniture if we all used the local sweat lodge for bathing or the mess hall yurt for cooking. We wouldn't need wind-resistant clothing if we didn't make personal rockets that go 200mph to travel long distances to arrive at the same amenities (just in a different city).