In terms of responsibility for destroying the earth, every single person on earth today is guilty, to some degree or other. We have all contributed towards global warming / climate change. Even those who advocate drastic steps to stop the world reaching a tipping point are guilty of using cars / aeroplanes, of wasting materials / resources, and I could go on. But this scripture text would draw our attention to a distinct difference God makes between two specific groups of people, for singling out one for destruction, and the other for salvation.
Further, the two categories involve all people who have ever lived, not just people who will be alive at the point of Christ's return (which is still future). The Big Clue lies in, "and the time came for the dead to be judged". We know from John 5:25-29 and Revelation 20:11-12 that all the dead will be resurrected, not just some of them:
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when
the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear
shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given
to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to
execute judgment also, because he is Son of man. Marvel not at this:
for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall
hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto
the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation."
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place
for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and
the books were opened..."
Notice in Rev. 11:18 that the angry nations are one group, and God's faithful servants / prophets / saints are another group. And notice from John 5:25 that it is only those who "hear the voice of the Son of God" who arise to life, and not damnation. This covers all people, at all times. Therefore, the ones who will be destroyed for destroying the earth cannot possibly be restricted to only the generation that will see Christ's spectacular ushering in of the Day of Resurrection and Judgment.
Destroying God's good creation, in this case, the earth, began with the entrance of sin via disobedient humanity who chose to listen to the voice of the Serpent instead of the voice of God. That holds good throughout all of history. There is one group of people who do not hear his voice, but who hear and follow the voice of the deceiver. Sin is that which first corrupts, then destroys. That is why "the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now... waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:22-23).
Therefore, I suggest that those who will be destroyed on that awful Day, are all those who did not hear the voice of the Lord, but who heard, and obeyed, the voice of the deceiver. Those who will not be included are all those who heard the voice of the Lord, and obeyed him. For, no matter now much they may have contributed towards sin, corruption and destruction, they were forgiven and cleansed with the blood of the Lamb, transformed by grace to newness of life through obedient faith in the Son of God.
Finally, this harmonises with Revelation showing that, just before that awful Day, an angel is sent to fly above the earth, in mid-heaven, to proclaim the everlasting gospel to the whole world of humanity. His message is to fear God, to give him the glory, and to worship him. (Rev. 14:6) But the nations are angry (Rev.11:18). They do not listen to the angelic spokesperson for the Lamb (Rev. 14:1) let alone obey the command! All such will experience the anger and wrath of God. All such are those who do not hear the voice of the risen Christ that enables rising to eternal life, but who discover (too late) that they are judged adversely - because they did not hear and obey the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Their sin remains, their sinful corruption that results in destruction is laid at their feet, and so they are justly brought to ruin, as one translation puts it: "...and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth" (NWT).