Avira, I could have predicted you’d bring up Rabbeinu Tam’s explanation of that gemara. Yet you conveniently chose not to talk about the many, many commentaries who learn that gemara at face value. Rambam, the gaonim, abarbanel, maharam, ben ish chai,to name just a few. Bottom line, I have plenty of sources on which to rely to make the claim that chazal can be wrong about scientific matters. Thus, I’m sticking to my guns, and while I couldn’t care less if you call me an apikores, it does make me uncomfortable that you seem to be willing to call these great Jewish scholars apikorsim as a consequence.
Bottom line: I have valid sources to support my statements, and thus, on the issue of whether or not it is ok to trash our planet, I’d recommend erring on the side of caution, just in case we *can* mess it up. It doesn’t hurt to be a responsible human being.