I wish I shared your optimism. I see photos of remote places, that have issues I don't have to worry about (being sarcastic here, I've literally been there and experienced that smog, its terrible even short term).

I guess people need to feel immediate and very personal threat and loss to change their view. That's the problem - to change entrenched view of billions, to move from not-my-problem to my-problem-too. Would be nice to use some psychological tricks. Don't ask me which ones