It's no secret that J.R.R. Tolkien had an unabashed love for nature. From the golden trees in Lothlórien to the rolling hills of the Shire, Tolkien injects his appreciation for the beauty of nature throughout Middle-earth. It's no surprise that the heroes of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are Hobbits, a race of creatures that live in harmony with nature and give back to the earth as much as they take.
Tolkien's love for the trees not only comes in the form of long passages describing the nature of the land but also in the way he paints a bleak picture of said lands being destroyed. Having served in the British Army during WWI, Tolkien witnessed firsthand the environmental destruction that war had. He also had to witness industrialization take over his childhood home. Using these two experiences as a basis, Tolkien centers Saruman the White's story in his environmentalism, anti-industrialization commentary.
Saruman's Lust for Power Cost Middle-earth Greatly
Saruman, like Gandalf, was originally charged by the Valar to go to Middle-earth at the beginning of the Third Age and help the Elves and Men unite against the inevitable rise of Sauron after his defeat in the Second Age. He, along with the other wizards, was specifically warned against attempting to acquire dark power equal to that of Sauron. Saruman's purpose was always to help the people of Middle-earth and fight against the dark forces that wished to see everything and everyone ruined. However, Saruman's jealousy toward Gandalf and the apparent favoritism the Grey Pilgrim garnered from the Valar and Elves rooted itself deep within Saruman in the early days of the Third Age and led him down a darker path that spelled doom for the very land and people he was meant to help.
The White Messenger researched the One Ring and Sauron extensively during his early years on Middle-earth. Seeing how much power Sauron wielded with the help of the One Ring led Saruman to desire the same power for himself. This lust for power pushed Saruman away from his original purpose and, in fact, resulted in him wanting to conquer Middle-earth and acquire the One Ring for himself. This supposed ally of nature, Men, and Elves saw an opportunity to put himself above the rest, above Gandalf and took it, forsaking his duties and the land he was meant to protect.
The Creation of the Uruk-Hai Is the Beginning of the End for the Trees of Middle-earth
Isengard became the central hub for forced industrialization upon the kingdom of Gondor. This process was largely helped by the Orcs. Since they made their own weapons and armor, they would cut down trees to use as fuel for their crafting. With Saruman employing them, their destructive work spread out from Isengard and encroached upon Fangorn Forest, home of the Ents. Upon the orders of Sauron to create a stronger army, Saruman pushed forward with more industrialization in order to fuel the fires of his war machine. Through some unknown dark method, Saruman created the Uruk-hai, Orc creatures that could withstand the sun.
Saruman viewed his creation of a new, stronger breed of Orcs as progress. The idea of progress and mass-producing is rooted in industrialization; however, Tolkien used the creation and progress in the new breed of Orcs to showcase how not all progress is good progress. In creating the Uruk-hai, Saruman condemned the trees and land surrounding Isengard. In line with the very nature of the Orcs, not all the trees that were cut down for the war machine were even needed. That's also not to mention the fact that the new Orc breed would cause more problems for the heroes of the story.
Saruman's Defeat by the Ents Is Nature's way of Healing
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In his grab for power, Saruman incurred the wrath of the Ents, the shepherds of the trees. It's not surprising that it was Treebeard who saw the early signs of Saruman's betrayal. Therefore, it would be only fitting that Treebeard would lead the Ents in stopping the White Messenger from further destroying the trees. Their efforts were helped, if not greatly encouraged by the Hobbits Merry and Pippin.
The last march of the Ents is Tolkien's way of displaying radical environmentalism. By having giant, speaking tree creatures not only fight back against an industrialized stronghold full of creatures whose prime enjoyment was cutting down trees but also effortlessly win in this battle, Tolkien displays to audiences this belief that nature will always reconcile any harm that humans (or human-like creatures) bring upon it. The flooding of Isengard not only washes away the scar that was left upon the land by the Orcs but also serves as a natural imprisonment tool for the helmsman of the industrialization machine. The powerful white wizard Saruman suddenly finds himself trapped and at the mercy of Ents and Hobbits, two creatures that have the closest connection to the earth.
Tolkien displays a bleak and gradual decline of nature in Middle-earth throughout the course of the series and in other works that discuss the history of the world. He takes time to detail the beautiful landscapes, making places like Mordor, with its dark skies and ashen fields, and Isengard, with its machinery and felled trees, that much more impactful in their bleak imagery. These two places were once beautiful and lush areas of Middle-earth that were unfortunately harmed in Sauron's quest for power. While moments like the Ents fighting to take back the land are hopeful, Tolkien doesn't hesitate to make clear that some damage is irreversible, such as the fact that new Ents will never be born because there are no more Entwives, and the Ents are slowly dying out.
Saruman's story was meant to be a cautionary tale against industrialization and a call for more environmentalism. Tolkien warns against cutting down trees wantonly because there is a real chance that there may not be any more left to fuel the progress that industrialization promises. Saruman had a responsibility to the Men, the Elves and to Middle-earth to help protect against the dark powers of Sauron. He turned his back on those responsibilities for a chance at power and with time he eventually paid for it.