> Grossly inefficient personal transportation and industrial farming have massive externalities forcing people who want nothing to do with it to deal with it. That doesn't seem to be a concern that matters to most people.

But it is a concern, and it is being tackled in many places: gasoline is taxed very heavily. Farm subsidies are being reduced.

Just because not all externalities have been fully internalised yet, doesn't mean PoW with its massive externalities is fine.