Reply To: What’s Our Response to Environmentalists.

Volume 4 of the authoritative Shimon Meller Brisker Rav biography makes it clear that The Brisker Rav zt”l views the very midrash that others quoted here dismissively (Hashem taking Adam harishon around Gan Eden) as proof that humans can in fact destroy the world So he argues on Rav Avigdor Miler zt”l on this point. Plastics and pollutants are the result of excessive gashmius and not caring about others, which is ruchnius as well.
So to get back to the original poster, the Brisker Rav would say that we don’t have a response, except to understand that pollution is the result of our spiritual impurities having an impact on the physical world. Maskim that this has become a new religion for many, but just because other sects abuse Moshiach, Eretz Yisroel, and Tanach doesn’t mean that we have to throw out the concepts completely. So the same applies here.