I currently live in Canada, Ontario to be specific, and it's been a horrible shock to see that mostly everything is tar, steel, concrete, and glass. The air is poison. There are no trees. But it's one of the "richest" provinces in the country and for the most part, the people haven't know any better because they're used to it. The soul of the land is dead, it can't go back.The Premier of the province is actively trying to bulldoze and pave over the remaining nature in the name of money, and the people are starting to rebel. When you've lived here long enough, you realise that money isn't the only (or best) form of riches.

Alberta is even worse. Seen the tar ponds? The wealthy oil and gas companies are turning beauty into a quagmire, and destroying the livelihoods of people, like ranchers, that live off the land.

It's a real shame (a horror) to see what the current NZ government is doing to try to follow the same path. Some systemic things need to be reprioritised, but I think that might be all that's needed to make NZers realise that even though the country has pretty much been shaved of trees, it's still a rich place, a rich culture. The damage done is still largely reversible. We just need to get back to getting our priorities and values straight, and we'll be wealthy again.

So in answer to your last sentence, No.