Climate Change, Global Warming or not...isn't the point to protect the earth?

Individuals and political parties in some western cultures (mainly the U.S.) spend so much time debating whether the theories of climate changes as human induced are accurate or not, or whether the science is well thought out. What this debate sets up is an out for all the people who want to put their blinders back on.

I mean afterall, I would be thrilled to find out that the scientists were wrong and we really aren't going to burn up or cause species to die because of our thoughtless exploitation of the earth's natural resources. But this doesn't really address the bigger issue--Americans have, for years, exploited our own natural environment and our corporations have gone to developing countries to do the same. We waste, destroy, and create havoc. The point is not whether this wastefulness is driving catastrophic environmental change, but whether it is impacting someone, and whether we couldn't find a better way to handle things to minimize the impacts.

I think the people who profess that human induced climate change is "junk science" are purposefully taking the focus off human environmental impacts, so that the average person can feel off the hook and the average person can then consume more (without worrying about reducing his or her impact or even making efforts to recycle)--this return to consumption then benefits these proponents who are likely corporation owners.

I don't really care whether climate change is real or not. Sometimes Americans with blinders need something more to dig themselves out of the rut they are in and find a better way to treat our natural resources and this earth that sustains our lives, the lives of plants, and animals. Maybe the theory that we are driving the earth toward catastrophic change is enough to get people off their couches, out of their cars, and out of the stores. Maybe it will get them thinking about new ways to protect our planet.