> I worry that some of the toxins produced with modern technologies may be worse than what we already have.

Well worry not, as coal is known to be the greatest contributor of radioactive elements and mercury in our environment at the moment.

The millions of people who have suffered and died as a result of inhaling stuff like uranium from coal soot would probably disagree.

Electronics manufacturing has its risks and concerns, but is an easier problem to address as manufacturing is a centralized activity, easy to regulate.

Even if alternate energy sources were in equal footing with fossil fuels it would still be worth it to pursue them because of diversification. Fossil fuel extraction has been a driving force behind geopolitics for the last century. While the elements behind solar and batteries are similarly becoming strategic resources, at least the list of exploitable resources is growing rather than shrinking.