We grew up in a world where every day was warm and beautiful in the summer. We never worried about checking air quality and now it feels like our kids are going to live in a world where they need to wear gas masks outside.
Well we could have voted for people who want to fix this, but we didn't (I'm using a royal 'we' for millenials here) -- and now we continue to vote conservative, so it'll keep happening.
Sadly I think our kids, while wearing gas masks, will be the ones to actually approach this both from a 'left-wing' side and deal with it.
I honestly don't have an optimistic take for you here, and mostly agree with you. At some point the adults have to admit we took safe summers away from our kids, and their kids, and do things to slow (not remove) the issue, but we won't