The amount of time we spend on this planet as a race is relatively nothing.
To adress your first point, it's called industrialization. Once we learned to use machines for work, it blew the doors wide open.
As far as scarring the planet, I do believe we ought to do our best to contribute to a healthy environment, but NOT because I think the planet is in danger. The planet is fine and will always be fine - it adapts. The only real issue is if we can adapt fast enough as well. (Plus, I'd like to see as fwe species go extinct as possible just cause animals are cool
)