There was a huge amount of pushback from incumbents on both of these issues.

Industry said we would forever hobble not only progress but set back the standard of life we had all come accustomed to. Engines would ping, then pop, and turn into mush; refrigerators would no longer function. Back to iceboxes.

There were plenty of economic losers when we resolved these problems. It took 100 years to force industry to come to terms with the fact that ‘crazy gas’ causes actual human suffering and limits our lifespan.

If we could overcome those economically entrenched interests to protect the entire planet we can set up some guidelines to protect us from the next threat, whatever it may be.

Incumbent pushback happens whatever the issue though.

I mean, tax software giant pushing back against simpler tax filling is a thing, so the presence of pushback feels like a given whatever we do. The difference would be on wether whole giant industries are bond to almost disappear, as is it with the coal industry for instance.