Another plausible explanation is that Dyson’s generation of scientists mostly ignored climate. It was a “yin” problem when these men were looking to make their mark on a “yang” problem — new physics, thinking machines, conquest of some new domain.

Now the yin problem has revealed itself as an existential threat to the growth-centric way of life built upon the work of the great minds of the 20th century. Unsurprisingly they and their disciples are reluctant to accept this.