1.The public simply follows what they are led to believe by those that control society. Our public is encouraged to consume, because our mode of production is predicated on consumption.
2. The purpose of this article and others like it is to wake the public up to what is being done to the planet for profit. It's a matter of survival. If these levels of carbon continue to be released into the atmosphere it will destroy conditions that allow life to exist on this planet.
Anyway I think you missed the point. If we would have started researching alternative energy in the Carter era we would be much farther along now. But we didn't and now we are basically in the same place today.
I do find it notable that you immediately leapt to the defense of the businesses that literally create this untenable situation and tried to blame it on the public.