Environmental Ethics

My personal views regarding the environment are relatively simple ones. We should protect the environment, that there is no official right or wrong way to deal with it. Nature has been around for thousands of years before us humans came and bulldozed it out, so in reality what gives us the right to just clear more of it away? To build more shopping malls so we increase our spending revenue and debt? I justify this because I feel like people nowadays are becoming more and more selfish and they just don't care about nature anymore, the way our ancestors before us did. What is ironic to me, is that some people would rather see a shopping mall than a preserve, but what happens when our resources run out? Who will be there to take the blame? But it can also go both ways as well, the scenario I have been asked to consider if the town isolated off, in need of a hospital. But provided with only a natural area with endangered plant species found. What is more important? The communities needs or the plants? This argument could run both ways, if a population of humans dies off due to isolation then that area becomes inhabitable, allowing nature to accrue. But at what cost? In this case I would have to say the needs of the community would prevail, rather than the needs of nature. Because nature can be preserved with care. Us humans, our internal workings are a bit more complicated and we will die off with insufficient medicine. The endangered plant species before mentioned, that could be preserved with proper care and respect. If the humans only used it when absolutely necessary, and had a respect for this plant and also took care of it, then the two could exist in a mutual relationship. But when one is aiming to become more dominant, then unfortunately nature will lose. This is why I feel that all humans should respect nature, and do what they can to preserve it. Nature gives us the air we breathe, shade, protection and even food sources. Why shouldn't we give it rights after all it does for us?