Reb Eliezer: “We are not suppose to throw a rock in a well or step on a piece of bread because we are denying the good He bestowed on us. Similarly by destroying the environment we are denying His good.”
This fits well in the language of the midrash. The warning against destroying the world is prefaced by the statement “רְאֵה מַעֲשַׂי כַּמָּה נָאִים וּמְשֻׁבָּחִין הֵן, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָאתִי בִּשְׁבִילְךָ בָּרָאתִי”. The natural world was not accidental or incidental; it was created specifically for Adam’s benefit, and therefore, Adam was given the responsibility of protecting it.