10. Underground coal fires. Good point. In general, environmental activists focus on issues that visible gather momentum. Scientists are and or should be in the business of raising awareness to lesser known, yet important issues. That doesn't make the environmental activists wrong. It just makes them imperfect.
9. Work with existing technology legacy. Good point, but not always true. I'm not a fan of hydrogen, but if technology comes along fast enough as well as a renewable source, it may be worth the infrastructure investment (over electric).
8. "Natural" or "Organic" not always better. Very good point.
7. Plans for future should not be based on most optimistic prediction. Great point. This is also a compelling reason to start acting on environmental issues today.
6. Simply attacking an environmentally damaging activity is not effective unless a better alternative of similar or better economics and usefulness is presented: Maybe. In order to change, one needs an alternative. But all of the protesting prior to having a solution provides motivation.
5. Resource taxes are progressive: Too bad. If you care, then offset it with other progressive tax moves. This argument is so convenient for anti-environmentalists. It makes it look like they care about the poor, but the argument is false.
4. Unreasonable to expect people to accept reductions in living standards. Smaller but better built houses and communities need not be a reduction in living standard. It is a cultural change. We can change for the better or for the worse. Let's choose wisely.
3. Depending on continuous subsidies is not sustainable. Good point. Not sure exactly where the author is going, but this idea is true.
2. Every little bit does not help. Example: Putting a solar panel on your roof might make you feel good, but that is about all. That is simply not true. If you can put a big panel on your house in the southwest and replace your electric use, you will have a huge net positive environmental effect. In addition, the long term economic benefit will be large. (It does require a subsidy at the moment. It is not clear how long that will be the case.)
1. Sacrificing the economy for the environment will destroy both: Very true. It is also true that sacrificing the environment for the economy will destroy both. That is why the definition of sustainability is to weight these two equally.