Ungrowth and go low tech..... essentially regress as a society. More death, less security, more susceptibility to climate change, environmental disasters, and disease. Lower standard of living and lower lifespans. No thank you.

Farming land destroys our planet. Building homes destroys our planet. It's not about destroying that planet. What's the point of having the planet if we don't use it?

What matters is are things sustainable? Are there long term consequences to the environment? Are those consequences worth it?

For mining, it's a no brainer, yes. Tear up large patches of land and extract needed resources. The world has tons of land so we can absolutely sacrifice some to for more valuable resources. There is lots of land which isn't utilized and likely won't be.

Society is moving forward and progressing. I hope that we work to progress in a more environmentally sustainable way. However, utilizing natural resources has been the only way mankind has improved our quality of life for thousands of years.

I will add that advances in energy technology will allow man to recycle more and do things in a more sustainable way. There is a lot to unpack there.