People had to decide between getting cheap plastic shit for a few pennies or having a nice community.
They decided.
Decades away is too far for most people to care about. And of course it's only "potentially" anyway.
I think people don't care at all. But rather than admit that, they are collectively playing the "its' too early to do anything, oh no, it's too late to do anything" strategy. I see this all the time when you discuss any of these issues: people insist it isn't real, when you give them irrefutable evidence it is, they switch seamlessly to "well it's too late anyway". People have decided at a sub-conscious level they are ok with the planet being wrecked, and now they will justify it with whatever convoluted bullshit comes to hand to not be forced to admit it...