It's not like we couldn't see this coming. It's been pretty clear this was going to happen, not just because of specific incidents like the Chinese Anti-sat weapon test, or the unexpected satellite collision, but because we used earth orbit like our own personal junk yard. Sooner or later it had to happen.

Spacecraft were designed to jettison components or were left in orbit after their missions ended because no one felt it was worthwhile to make any effort to consider clean-up as part of the mission profile. And every new collision up there potentially generates clouds of new missiles, the number increasing much faster than orbital decay can remove debris, so new hazards would be created even if we stopped launching now. Equilibrium will never be reached.

The people responsible are precisely those who who are highly trained in the technology and the spacefaring nations and agencies; those who should be most aware of the danger, and who have the most to lose. Its the Tragedy of the Commons, all over again, or the Parable of the Lily Pond. (When the lily pads double in area every day, by the time you realize you have an endangered pond you only have a few days to do anything about it, and its too late or too expensive to take action.)

It's just easier to do nothing until its too late, and it suddenly becomes to late to do anything. Maybe this is yet another explanation for the Fermi Paradox.