What a coincidence, HR. I just happened myself to listen to this very wonderful talk last night.
The reason that so many modernists in and out of the Church have such a poor understanding of God as the ultimate context and sustainer of the natural world is that they were never properly educated in the very philosophy from which orthodox Catholic teaching proceeds. This is the key point of Fr. Ripperger's talk, as you know.
Creatures do not determine their own development. That's an absurdity and a contradiction on its face.
In addition, the marvels of creation can inspire only humility and awe in men receptive and perceptive enough to recognize the divine Engineer and Architect behind the integrated systems of each species, each habitat, and the combination of habitats. Not an accident, not spontaneous, not random, and certainly not caused by creatures themselves. If so, animals are gods, which is just another absurdity.