Nature can serve terrifying reminders that humans are, individually and collectively, pitifully weak and impotent creatures. The terrifying reminders which sparked my thoughts on the matter took the form of a fierce windstorm and coincidental thunderstorm, replete with an explosive light show and jarring claps of thunder.
We seem to have the capacity to choke the life out of our planet and are doing so with alarming alacrity. However, I have no doubt that nature will repair the damage. Another species may then develop enough egotism to experience the delusion of dominion after we are gone.