In an act of wishful thinking, Phillip’s “Austerity Ecology” glosses over the Jevons Paradox or rebound effect, whereby increases in technologically-induced efficiency often actually result in increased use of resources. Further, the idea that peasant populations leave rural areas only due to the pull of a wonderful urban existence is an insult to many millions of migrants crammed into filthy, overcrowded slums, and ignores the role of any larger economic necessities in displacement. Strangely, for a self-avowed socialist, in this he acts as an effective apologist for capitalism and the destruction of rural livelihoods, from enclosure forward.
http://dark-mountain.net/blog/beyond-the-life-of-the-sun-ecomodernism-and-its-discontents-2/
degrowthcanada.wordpress.com 
This recent Monbiot article about how decoupling of economic growth and environmental impact are not happening provides new evidence aagainst this wishful thinking. http://www.monbiot.com/2015/11/24/false-promise/?fb_action_ids=10207653950403644&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B886654441423256%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D
Thanks for this and all the great posts, Bob.
Thank YOU for pointing to Monbiot’s post. A lot of people are looking for just this critique of this wishful thinking which the second law of thermodynamics shows/proves but in ways many people can’t follow. Another proof that you can’t refill your gas tank by pushing your car backwards. 😉
Bob