. . . American behavior at the end of the 1970's.  That was the turning point for the US.  Before 1980, a soft landing was still possible, and proposals were indeed being made for altering and moving to a sustainable energy economy.  In the election of 1980 such a course was rejected and scrapped. Americans chose denial instead, in the absense of the crisis conditions that are now upon us.  

The Fates are kind.