If we succeed in destroying nature, choosing instead to replace what shaped us with objects of our own design, our entire species is likely to go mad. That's not to say that dropping Cartesian anxiety cold-turkey will be any less stressful. The reason our bodies respond favorably to the introduction of elements of this landscape into our modern lives is because we are hard-wired into the planetary landscape that existed before the Industrial Revolution, all the way back to the way the world was when our species was young. That's why pets, ponds and views of parks, waves, and scenes of antelope safely grazing in savannas can reduce systolic pressure and inhibit adrenals from secreting adrenaline. Across national, racial, and cultural differences humans will choose an unspectacular or even mediocre natural setting over an urban setting devoid of nature.
Water elicits a wide range of positive effects on the human psyche.
As a species, we associate relaxation and peacefulness with natural settings having a water feature. Richard Leakey and others concluded that our early ancestors generally located their camps at the edge of water. Bands of humans also found landscape features such as boulders, mountains and rock outcroppings to locate at their back. These offered natural protection against attacking animals or rival human groups. Science acknowledges that humans are hard-wired from the time of Australopithecus to prefer calm water before us to refresh us and offer a soothing view, to prefer the presence of vegetation and animals around us, and to desire a mountain or other imposing natural feature at our backs to allay fears of attack or predation.