... mining continues to be environmentally damaging to a very large extent ...
To be fair, it would be incorrect to say that bitcoin mining is not harmful to the environment because anything that requires energy to operate releases a certain amount of emissions into the environment. Even common items we often think are harmless such as household appliances, office equipment...let alone machines that consume large amounts of energy.
Usage of internet even damages the environment but no one seems to be aware of it or is just actively ignoring it because it benefits them. Appliances like air conditioner also damages the environment but the very fact that we need ac is because of climate change.
But it is also incorrect to blame bitcoin mining for environmental pollution when other industries are 100 times more polluting than bitcoin. Especially what the government is doing with nuclear reactors, nuclear weapons, missiles, bombs...military weapons testing or senseless wars out there.
Those things need to be condemned because they are causing serious environmental pollution, contributing to global warming millions of times more than bitcoin mining and other fields. Why do they hide and no one complains about it?
Simply because they use it and they can't allow themselves to stop using it. In short, people are hypocrites. Many industries now are adding to environmental damage but people are more comfortable condemning small things when we all should be collectively making a difference and not cherry pick what to do.