James Hutton is renowned for his revolutionary geologic theories that laid the cornerstone for the impressive structure of modern geology. Hutton's major contribution was his uniformitarianism theory, which held that natural laws that govern the Earth today have remained unchanged since its origins, and that the same mechanisms that cause geological change today were responsible for all Earth's history. In essence, his uniformitarianism theory argued that the Earth was far older than the 6000-year timeline offered by the Bible, which placed its origin somewhere in the early 1700s.

Uniformitarianism has given scientists a deeper understanding of Earth's development, as well as a better sense of the age of our planet. The idea that geological processes have been constant over time has allowed geologists to extend their observations backwards into the past, revealing that geologic processes, such as erosion and sedimentation, have been responsible for shaping Earth's surface and history for many millions of years. This revelation pushed mankind’s understanding of Earth’s age further than it had ever gone before.

The uniformitarianism theory also allows scientists to gain a better understanding of the forces that shape the Earth’s landscape, including the nature and interaction of earthquakes, fissures, landslides, tsunamis, and storms. Geologist can use this knowledge to better predict and prepare for natural disaster, as well as to understand how natural processes shape the environment and its resources.

Moreover, Hutton’s theory proved helpful in the development of the scientific disciplines of paleontology, sedimentology, and historical geology. Paleontology studies fossils, while sedimentology investigates the buildup of sedimentary rocks and minerals. With the help of uniformitarianism, scientists could use analogies between present-day processes and ancient landscape history to gain a better understanding of former habitats, plants and animals. Additionally, by looking at rocks and terrain in the context of the environment over time, scientists can better interpret the evidence of historical geologic activity.

All in all, the uniformitarianism theory proposed by James Hutton revolutionized the scientific view of the Earth’s age, history and development, and has provided profound insights into the Earth’s composition and its accompanying geologic processes. This has allowed scientists to better study, understand and predict natural disasters, as well as deepen their understanding of the Earth's resources and former habitats. For such a large contribution to the field of science, Hutton is certainly deserving of much credit.