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But man has a particular importance in man's history. I know that we cannot *destroy* the Earth's environment. But we can damage it so badly that we destroy ourselves. That is where our moral obligation lies.



I hate to be the one to break this to you, but man, as a species, is already on the downhill slide. Mankind cannot last forever, whether we burn fossil fuels or live in trees eating nuts and berries. It doesn't work that way.

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If humans did not exist, the Earth would be nothing more than just a big rock.



And there's something wrong with a big rock?

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The real value on this planet are the people, and it behooves us to keep the planet in good enough shape for us to survive.



You only say that because you're a people. Termites think they are the real value. Mollusks think they are. And yes, I know those animals don't "think", but you get the point. To say that the species of man is the only thing that adds any "value" to the planet is absurd. The history of man is a blip in time.