Did we learn from the past?

Does anyone remember the 70's oil crisis? If you do, did we learn anything from it? Personally I don't think we did. Fuel oil went from $0.16 per gal to $1.50. I changed from oil to natural gas which was much cheaper at the time also, with wood heat as the primary heat source. I even contemplated buying a sub-compact car. You know those cheap cars that on a still, clear night, you could hear rusting at the curb!
I love it when I hear that the government should sign global warming treaties, get oil cheaper etc.. Well my friends, what about us? We buy huge SUV's, 4 wd's, build huge houses and the list goes on. Don't we have a responsibility to conserve our resources? I am hearing the same crap I heard in the 70's, including the environment! I keep hearing "they should do something", not "us"! Who are "they" anyway? May be that our raping the forests are causing global warming, changing weather patterns, creating more wind etc., as well as green house gases. But what the heck "they" should stop building houses, using paper so "we" can have more to use!
Yes it pisses me off to pay what we are for gas, but it pisses me off just as much to realize that I took careful aim, and shot myself in both feet yet again, you see I didn't learn the first time either.