Again, no one here is defending, or putting forward the idea, that companies should simply go around dumping pollutants wherever they feel like it, free of consequence. That is both illegal, and immoral, in that it very often compromises the health and welfare of people living nearby.
Some of us would, however, agree that some amount of pollution is the inevitable result of, and a fair price to pay for, simple material progress. That progress ultimately makes life better for everyone by creating more wealth and opportunity for the population in general to enjoy. The amount of the former we are willing to tolerate in pursuit of the latter simply happens to exist as a matter of degree, on a spectrum of sorts.
In other words, no, I don't think simply exploiting land and resources for industry counts as "desecration." I do, however, think that dangerous and irresponsible forms of dumping should be illegal. I also think burning a flag which represents the American people and the American way of life is a rather major dick move, and that the people who do so are morons.
