I think your last statement is absolutely on point. If we as a species had addressed climate change when it was first raised as an important issue in the 1970's, it would not have required nearly the same level of upheaval that addressing it today will need. The later we leave it, the worse the upheaval becomes.

Basically the science says we will transition to a zero-emission society. We can either plan for it and have a managed transition, or we can be forced into it by external forces, essentially a collapse (good luck feeding 10 billion people with widespread crop failures).

The earlier we start, the smoother the transition will be. That is basically what all the protests are about, people just want to start the transition already.