I didn't see at as negative. More like a realistic appraisal. He makes compelling arguments. People climb Everest, but they don't stay to live. We have a few outposts in Antarctica, but we aren't building towns there. Both locations are more hospitable than Mars and easier for us to reach.
Anyway, I thought it was a well written piece with a different take than what you get from the Elon Musks of the world talking about how we'll have colonies on Mars in the next hundred years or so.