Humans have overcome the usual limits and barriers that restrict other species. Humanity was subject to the laws of nature just like any other species, and the people alive at that time struck a balance with their ecosystems, finding their own versatile niche. Then agriculture came along and everything in the new agricultural fields had to die except the plants that people were trying to grow. It was because of this most unnatural development that man overcame the bounds that nature had been maintaining on humanity for millennia through disease, predation, and more importantly, a limited food supply.
Humans have intellect and culture.
This culture dictates how a people live and how they interact with the surrounding landscape. If a culture is sustainable, the protection of the environment is built right into the culture, such as is the case of many native and aboriginal peoples around the globe. European cultures based on consumption and Calvinism are not Earth friendly institutions. Economical balances replace ecological balances. Sadly, these European cultures have taken over the word and destroyed nearly all the native and aboriginal cultures.