science

That's... the point? Civilizations with that kind of tendency may very well destroy their planet and/or themselves long before they advance to the point where they are detectable to an outside observer many light years away.

The human race is at the moment in a race against time. We're hoping that we can develop new technology to save ourselves faster than we destroy everything around us. This kind of race has probably happened countless times across the vast universe and perhaps the laws of physics ultimately make the race unwinnable. These laws limit how much technology can do for any species, no matter how smart, so it would be a universal filter.

If the only way to win the race is to slow down the destruction of the environment to the point that the species is undetectable, that solves the Fermi paradox.

It sounds like this theory posits that humans may never be advanced enough that we’d detect ourselves unless we learn to live harmoniously rather than virulently.

This is kind of an underwhelming explanation,

Its the best one ive ever heard

and I dont think it's ultimately right given how humans are trying their best to wipe out all life on earth over pieces of paper.

That's essentially what we're doing

https://dothemath.ucsd.edu/2024/07/metastatic-modernity-launch/

Could almost say that wiping out all life on Earth over pieces of paper is unsustainable, but that'd probably go too far.