The current version of the complex system is the result of the repair of several previous almost total eradications of all components. It takes a while, but although humans are (rightly) very concerned about our effects on the world, the reality is that we would have to _actually try_, and fairly hard, to do permanent damage that wouldn't eventually be repaired or replaced with something appropriate to the new situation. Even if we melt all the ice and flood everywhere that's practical, and reduce everything within the tropics to storm-blasted wasteland, from an outside view the system will be basically OK and will just get on with it.

Yeah, I was thinking more of some kind of mathematical property or emergent quality of such a system, but earth will be fine. Humans won't be, but that's kind of deserved.