the messaging has been consistently toned down in the hopes people would listen.

My guess is its even more than this: deadlines were extended to not let people fall into inaction. The tipping point always close enough so that its dangerous, but still far away enough so that there is still hope. It is a ploy analogous to the fascist “the enemy is strong enough to be dangerous and weak enough to be thoroughly defeated.”

This scene is far more realistic, I think. But as you can tell, it doesn’t play very well with either the audience or the media.

They are nothing but hot air until they really do it. And when they really do it, they will look and be really stupid.

Don’t fan their vanity by paying attention to stupid people doing stupid things. Put your phone away or close your laptop, go out, breath some fresh air. This nonsense is of no concern to you.