For thousands of years, ever since we plowed the valleys of the Nile or Ganges, man has reshaped Earth. Even though man’s success was overwhelming, it was still won in one individual’s battle at a time on the frontier, protecting the herd from wild predators or fields from the river with a dam. The world seemed enormous, and building our civilization was a struggle.

But in the last century, man’s triumph over nature has been absolute.

Somehow we have not stopped. More and more, nature is pushed back into smaller and smaller places. Species are vanishing at alarming rates. The loss of every species is a cosmic catastrophe. Take turtles. Turtles evolved around 230 million years ago. For all we know, Earth is the only place with turtles (or life). Earth is the ark for the entire cosmos. The loss of a turtle species cannot be made up again.

We also don’t accept our impact. Humans find it hard to believe we can change something as big as the atmosphere. The thought that our activities can drive global change in climate and weather seems improbable. But even plants and animals have changed the atmosphere’s composition in Earth’s history. Today man’s activity is driving a climate change that can only be described as atmospheric superheating at hypervelocity.

It is time for peace with Earth.

We have been given the consciousness of the cosmos. We explored the laws of nature, found or created mathematics, composed music, and wrote millions of books. We even transformed ourselves into a species that can live in densely populated cities without going ape on our fellow citizens. We have done it.

We have nothing to prove. But now we must put our hand over a hatchling turtle waddling to the surf. We must set aside large parts of our planet for the other passengers on this cosmic ark. It is time to hug a tree in the rainforest. We must do so not because it may harbor a medical compound in its bark but just because of it being there.

This is what I wish for the New Year: Peace with Earth.