The big difference between us and other animals, is other animals very much in the main, are adapted the environment.

We take the environment and adapt it to us, so it could be said we have evolved the ability to adapt the environment to us, which is why we are despeciating the planet by evolving it to our needs.

If we take life to the moon and beyond, how will we be ruining these at the present, totally lifeless environments, unless of course you think life itself a pollution?