I find little to disagree with the spirit of this statement, it seems obvious to me that changes in the way we consume resources are essential to maintaining a high standard of living, to say nothing of reducing environmental degradation. At risk of sounding cynical, on the other hand, I would argue that ecological destruction and social injustices have actually been foundational in the development of every civilized society. But I think that would be missing the point the author is trying to make- the fact that these things have historically existed doesn't mean we have to tolerate them any longer.

I do not agree with all of this, but I do think that we cannot afford to continue to ignore the damage that we are doing to the environment.  If we continue to degrade the environment, we might end up hurting the capacity of the Earth to sustain our population.