On the matter of being separate and removed from nature, light pollution is something that needs to be addressed. There's nothing quite like staring into a star-filled sky. An experience had by millions upon millions of our ancestors, a regular imbuing of their souls with an infinite grandeur, has been greatly reduced in the past couple of generations. It is sad, really.

In addition to bemoaning that intangible, but nonetheless real, loss. There has been recent study of the detrimental effects of light pollution on the creatures that share the planet with us.

I think this is representative of an issue that is an underlying cause of a lot of modern chronic stresses. Our disrespect for all the life on earth and to future generations of that life, especially of our own species, by our falling down on the job of our stewardship of the planet.

Now that's a tall order to rectify, but if our collective actions can result in emergent effects that are detrimental to our societal and planetary health, the opposite is possible as well.

opposed to purely pursuing industrial optimization and efficiency.

Not to take away from your general point at all, but I think the above is just something a lot of people tell themselves or that is assumed but the evidence for it is not actually there.

Similarly, there seems to be a lot of, "Well, we have to do X, because we have to do Y." Where Y is not something that actually has to be done.

I think a lot of things just develop a kind of inertia and go from there. Cars for example in their overbuiltness and overuse are about the farthest thing from efficient and optimized, especially when you factor in their impact on the environment, destruction of human life, and general unpleasantness.