I do think that the "reduce carbon dioxide emissions at any cost" position to be flawed.

It's a necessary position. There are many reasons why carbon dioxide emissions must be reduced, not just the now inevitable climate change. One reason is the increasing acidification of the seas as a result of CO2 absorption. This could cause widespread harm to ecosystems, with unknown consequences.

Another reason is that increased efficiency and innovation is very good for economies. Just to give an example, the USA has lagged seriously behind the rest of the world in making fuel-efficient cars.

Another reason is political and - reducing our dependency on fuel imports would extract us from the need to deal with very unpleasant states, such as Saudi Arabia.

Another reason is that cheap fuel is going to run out. It's not a renewable resource. It makes economic sense to reduce our dependence on such fuel and plan a transition to other sources of energy.