Destroying the environment is nothing new, every human activity, even taking a breath or pissing in the sea, hurts the planetary ecosystem in some small way. What is happening now is just a change of scale, We are fishing with dynamite on a global stage. But its not "us" who's at fault, its "them".

The crime is not the destruction of the environment, but the massive fraud being perpetrated in order to continue this on a large scale. Its a propaganda/public relations/political crime. It is the molding of public opinion to continue the destruction using all the economic, psychological, social, communications and political technologies available.

These guys know exactly what they are doing, they are perfectly aware of the nature of the problem and of their complicity in it, what needs to be done to solve it and why they don't want to do it. They may feel that they will not suffer from the environmental consequences, but its not because they think the consequences will be minimal. What they actually believe is that due to their resources and wealth and influence they will be able to continue to profit from the destruction to come. And in the meantime, they can profit by selling what is required to guarantee the destruction arrives on schedule.

Its the Masque of the Red Death all over again, the plague ravages the countryside while within the castle the party goes on uninterrupted. If the oceans rise, they can afford to move to higher ground. If the climate deteriorates, they will be able to buy up (and fortify) the dwindling pockets of gentle weather. If the global food production takes a hit, they can afford to pay a premium price for whatever remains. If resources are short they will be able to afford them. If civil strife breaks out, they will have their gated communities and security guards to hide behind, not to mention the authoritarian police and courts and armed forces needed to keep the rabble under control. Whatever horror awaits the world, it will affect them last, and they will live very well themselves selling us the goods and services we'll need just to hang on, as well as the means to make things worse.

Its Catch-22, where the aircraft medical kits are being plundered of bandages and morphine so they can be peddled on the black market. All the injured crewmen get in return is a stock certificate redeemable if they survive.

Or if you'll forgive another strained metaphor...the Titanic's first class passengers are denying the masses in steerage places on the lifeboats by buying up the choicest seats, and bribing the crew to enforce the evacuation in their favor.

Are they overly optimistic and heading for disaster along with the rest of us? Probably, with arrogance comes stupidity. But that will do us little good.