> "we're destroying the planet"

I've always taken that definition of 'planet' to mean, "the way it is now," or, "the parts that we like about it." No one truly believes that humans will cause the planet to cease to exist (at least in the non-SciFi near-future).

> The Earth, life, will go on with or without us.

That doesn't necessarily excuse the destruction that we leave in our path...

I think if we did cause our own extinction we would take most species with us beforehand.

The last animals left will be the cockroaches, Eric Burdon, and of course, Keith Richards.