Sometimes people do not realize that a hole in the boat is a hole in the whole boat. The story seems ridiculous yet there are people who see threats to the environment as a hole on the other side of the ship, the space ship, we all inhabit. Too many times we exhibit tendencies to separate our well being, and even our salvation from the well being of others in our planet and from the welfare of the planet as well. The apostle Paul made no such mistake, he saw the salvation of individuals inextricably connected to the salvation of the world, the whole creation. Personal salvation is indeed important, but personal salvation does not happen in a vacuum, it happens here, on the earth we inhabit.
Personal salvation is the first step toward the redemption of all creation.
Creation and Salvation are also intimately linked in the Hebrew and Christian stories. Adam is created by God near the end of the Creation saga. God takes dirt, clay, to shape humanity and Adam's name reflects this act and informs or, ought to inform, our perspective. In the Indo-european languages we have preserved the connection between the ground we step on and our very existence. The words humus and human share a common root.