The Earth needs to be cherished

After catching the awe-inspiring Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey on the National Geographic Channel a few weeks ago, my interest in astrophysics grows with each passing day. I never lost my interest in astrophysics. After I graduated, I always kept myself up to date with astrophysics news, mostly with news from NASA and its myriad of missions in the solar system and beyond. I grew up with discoveries made by NASA, so it seemed natural to follow its progress. All these years, I've kept a distant watch on the world of astrophysics.
In addition to Cosmos the TV series, I also dug up my old copy of Cosmos by Carl Sagan, the book that the series is based on, to keep me occupied until the next episode airs (an excruciatingly long wait). I do have a habit of not finishing some books I started reading but I'm pretty sure that I finished reading Cosmos when I was younger. Nonetheless, reading it again is almost like reading it for the first time. There is this line in the book which I like because it is similar to what I wrote in my previous post about climate change:

"A few million years ago, when human beings first evolved on Earth, it was already a middle-aged world, 4.6 billion years along from the catastrophes and impetuosities of its youth. But we humans now present a new and perhaps decisive factor. Our intelligence and our technology have given us the power to affect the climate. How will we use this power? Are we willing to tolerate ignorance and complacency in matters that affect the entire human family? Do we value short-term advantages above the welfare of the Earth? Or will we think on longer time scales, with concern for our children and our grandchildren, to understand and protect the complex life-support systems of our planet? The Earth is a tiny and fragile world. It needs to be cherished."

Chapter 4: Heaven and Hell, Cosmos by Carl Sagan.