When the first Europeans came over, they had no respect for the native people, so they wiped them out, or tried to make them white. They had no respect for the local ecosystem so they brought their own plants and birds over. Tried to make it a copy of England. They didn't respect the local flora and fauna. Lack of respect is an incredibly destructive thing.
Optimists hope for good things to happen and pessimists hope for bad things to happen.
I operate on the assumption of hope. I think it is irresponsible to say that it is hopeless, or that it is too late. All the indicators are that we're going down the tube. I feel like were in a car going 100 miles an hour toward a brick wall and everyone in the car is arguing about where to sit. We need to get out of the trunk and get our message out.