we’re just hairless apes that are both too smart for our own good

By that same logic the Earth is just a rock floating through space with self replicating molecules on it. What makes it any more or less important than us? It's all rather meaningless, no?

We're a virus on Earth, but just like viruses don't care about invading and killing the host - why should we care about killing the Earth? Don't misunderstand me - I think we should try and stop climate change from getting out of control from a practical standpoint. We're stuck here so rising temperatures will have serious long term impacts on our global society. But I think this idolization of nature argument falls flat - feels almost religious.

Main reason for me is that we are just as part of nature as anything else. To assume otherwise is arrogance.