Some observers have argued that exactly this is what caused the current republican v. democrat divide vis environmental issues. We tend to forget that Nixon started the EPA, because the fucking Cuyahoga river kept catching fire (among other disasters). It was obvious people were suffering and dying due to the poor quality of air and water. So Nixon did something about it. With support from democrats. Reagan was kind of an asshole on the Environment, but he was an anomaly. Support for the EPA and environmental protections generally was very strong among both parties for 30 years. In the 90s Democrats (especially Gore) starting using the environment as a differentiating factor to win elections. So the GOP dug in. If you're going to be the environment party, we'll be the business party we've always been. The more democrats attacked, the more the GOP retreated to regressive policies that hurt all of us by claiming that they're helping "small business". Environmental policy should be non-partisan. We (the rational citizens of America) all know that. But it is. And it may be unavoidable in a winner-take-all electoral system, since if you choose heads first I must choose tails whether I like it or not. I don't know how to claw out of that well, but my feeling is that it will likely take catastrophe once again--a Love Canal or a Cuyahoga river type situation. When Miami is inundated with sea water, then we might see action. Until then, I remain unoptimistic....I think they paint the doom and gloom too thick to the point where it might actually cause more harm to attitudes than good.