I think one of the problems with the the U.S. is we have become spoiled by cheap energy and people feel it's the norm when in fact it is very unusual. Many of us are just in denial.
Such as an addict.
The fact that we may have to revert to an earlier way of living and give up our environmentally destructive conveniences for the sake of some impersonal and, in many of our minds, "far away" thing like the environment is unthinkable because then we'd loose our "high".
The irony is, like most addicts, we are a like a train headed for a cliff.
We need to realize that our environment is the thing we need for economic sustainability and lasting fulfillment before we are left with a wrecked eco-system and a bunch of useless oil powered technology.
Science is the only way to make people realize this before it's too late.