Okay but calling lime mortar an "unpopular opinion" has me picturing someone at a party getting heated about historic building materials. Let walls breathe, sure, but my walls just sit there and hold up pictures. The greenest choice is whatever stops my basement from feeling like a swamp cave.
Honestly, who has the energy for a building material debate at a party? I mean, my main goal is also just not living with weird damp smells. If my basement feels dry and my pictures stay on the wall, I'm calling that a win. Sometimes the simple fix is the right one.