Even though I have yet to see a favorite natural environment violated in such a way, I still say that preserving the enviornment is the way to go, even though not doing so has a few benefits, albeit double-edged.
I would love to try to switch out the van with my bike at times, but that presents difficulties, such as living by a highway, the sheer weight of books I have to carry to and from school, and, of course, the weather.
One thing I don't understand is why all the environmentally-friendly ways to do things are either expensive or challenging... If it's beneficial to all of us, why make it so hard to do so?