The 4 problems you cite - overpopulation, pandemic disease, refugees (fleeing oppressive regimes and soon from the climate crisis) and climate change are all interrelated.
Materialism is too broad a term. We had materialism in the 1950s when products were built to last and there was the pride of craftsmanship.
We are in a consumeristic society where we consumers have been reduced to economic factors as part of the predatory capitalistic engine. In the the 1960s in the US we used to be called citizens and we had greater access to our representatives who by the 70s were being bought by Corporations.
Your analysis of "Science" is simplistic at best. Your concept of reality changing is spot on and your premises while not wrong are skewed and have - in part - missed the point.
The modern recalculations of the Yugas have the Ascending Kali Yuga ending in 2025 ACE followed by 300 year cusp period until the Dwapara Yuga takes root. The Kali Yuga is characteristic by business, money and divisiveness - for a more diverse list: (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali_Yuga#Characteristics).
Greed, the logical extremes of the patriarchy - a system that no longer works in the world for everyone - coupled with predatory capitalism and the climate crisis.
Overpopulation and the industrialization of Nature have been creating the climate crisis we have had now - for decades. Climate crisis is Earth seeking balance for its survival. We could be included in that equation but we are too busy making MORE money to notice. The More of us or growth, capitalism, industrialization have encroached on Nature and have created Climate Crisis which in turn makes pandemics possible and increasingly more likely in the near future.
Its not just a matter of changing our thinking. It's changing our Being - meaning changing our lifestyle - vastly altering our behaviors. The change we are facing is akin to making Money obsolete - everything is Free - rubric. We couldn't do it. We're fixed and possessively attached to Money.
Billions of people will suffer and die as a result.
