Early exploration was all about pillaging the planet. Much of the Sahara desert for example exists because destroyed the existing ecosystem which altered weather patterns and vastly expanding the desert. Recently we almost did the same to the Midwest in the US. In fact we still might be heading that way after the Ogallala Aquifer is used up.

More recently Oil is currently driving a lot of exploration into the oceans and other remote regions.

PS: Not that I think we should all just stay home, but whitewashing history is stupid.