How does the lesson of Rapa Nui apply to the modern world?

On Rapa Nui, research has provided data supporting the hypothesis that overuse of natural resources led to the collapse of the civilization. Even the cultural move from hunting and gathering to agriculture did not prevent the collapse; it only delayed it. The modern world is much like Easter Island with larger resource pools, and the message remains the same. Civilizations can crumble when population pressure overwhelms resource availability, although for the modern world, this collapse will be a long time in arriving because of advances in such fields as technology, engineering, agriculture, and medicine. This will postpone, but not prevent, eventual societal collapse if the way that resources are used is not changed to be more sustainable.