Given that we have only one known example of intelligent life, we are the only thing we can base any predictions upon. Given that we have a provable filter in front of us, I think it's reasonable to assume that similar situations might occur elsewhere in the universe:

(1) An intelligence reaches a critical intellectual mass and begins to utilize the free resources that are present in its environment.

(2) In doing so it grows and develops exponentially.

(3) By the time it develops far enough intellectually to realize the problem -- exponential growth built on finite non-replenishable supply -- it's already too late.

We seem to have realized this problem around 1950-1970, and we have done very little about it so far. That's because huge complex systems are hard to change, and all the incentives point the wrong way.