Environmental destruction is a huge problem and usable sand is a limited resource and often in delicate environments. It’s not the 19th century anymore—people today are more aware that taking resources has consequences.
This may have been somewhat more true in the past, but I believe the energy payback period is now less than 24 months, on a PV device that should last over 20 years.
We must pay attention to weighing up the relative costs to environmental destruction by one cause (production and disposal of PV) against its most common alternative (continued fossil fuel usage).
But maybe this technique makes the payback go from 24 months to 22 months. Maybe even just to 23.5 months! It’s still progress!
Nobody here is arguing that. FUD is a real thing. Be careful not give them ammunition.
FUD isn't even an applicable term.