The first deity in Greek mythology, Gaia, is commonly known as "mother earth".  Myths from that time show other Greek gods and goddesses encouraging the Greeks to help retain a sense of order in the universe (called the cosmos).  Should this harmony be upset, the deities would often take revenge in the form of creating natural disasters.  So, it could be said that Greek mythology was an early proponent of respecting the earth and noting the consequences if one does not do so.

That would all depend on the practitioner, of course, and the rituals in which they chose to take part. Of course, if someone worshipped Gaea (Gaia in the post above), then he or she might be tender toward the earth and its creatures. The same might be true of worshippers of the goddess Demeter, who looked after the harvest. We should also remember that in ancient Greece, there was no such thing as pesticide (herbicide, insecticide, chemical warfare), so farmers were much more tender toward the earth, especially if they were familiar with the land on which they farmed and its natural capabilities.

On the other hand, worshippers of Ares, god of war, were likely to destroy life in battle, killing both humans and horses. (However, even this was less destructive to the natural environment of plants and wildlife than is modern chemical warfare.)