Thanks for the article.
The working model of the environment, any of its functions and methods, is viable to the extent that it can take the total environment for granted as source and sink; unfortunately, it was created because the total environment cannot be taken for granted. 
The pursuit of knowledge and creation of controls fail as an enlightenment project because these purposes must be blind to what the model cannot be be or do. Many other effects of the model cannot be known, many are politically ignored, but even those few side effects which must be acknowledged guarantee that the solutions of the model generate a larger problem. This trend benefits the short term subjectivity of lawyers and scientists, but stands as an obstacle to reducing degradation overall. 
Reduction of a harm by adjunct processes quite likely increases overall harm; thus social costs are being priced to stimulate more harm. The model works against the grain of nature; frictional losses predominate..