You ARE describing economics: incentives. WHile the scale of "destruction" of nature is subject to discussion (and it's subjective in most instances), the worst part is caused by perverted incentives from governments.

Without them, destruction and pollution would be minimal since clear property rights would make polluters pay/abate pollution more easily. With the present state of things - where governments "own" so much land - that incentive doesn't exist. In fact, Washington is the single largest polluter on the planet