An economy that bases prices in scarcity will have a perverse incentive to deplete any resource. This is how capitalism functions. It is not only economically sound, but economically profitable to generate crisis. For example, look at the crops that get burned due to over-abundance, look at how diamonds are price gouged, look at how clothing is liquidated because of overstocking. It is disgusting. We destroy our excess in order to make profit. Not donate, destroy. The compassionate route is blocked off by greed. We have enough housing, clothing, and food to keep our entire society off the streets and fed, yet because we worship the dollar over morality, we prefer to allow and encourage suffering.