I disagree that Americans want the problem fixed at no cost to them. People are willing to pay more for alternative energy cars, although they still weigh the price differential carefully because they do not want to be ripped off. People are increasingly willing to endorse drilling off-shore or even on certain federal lands, which carries a "cost" - the risk of environmental damage and visual damage to coastlines, etc. Some people are willing to endorse nuclear power, despite the environmental risks and the costs of building such facilities.

I believe Americans are willing to pay for solutions, but they are not willing to pay for promises, speculative solutions, or methods that do not actually pay dividends. If, for example, we were told that geothermal power could provide all our heating needs (like it does in Iceland) and we had to pay 25% more to get away from burning coal and oil, most Americans would say "OK, but get it done." What bothers us is the higher cost, the promise, and no apparent results.

It is not a purely economic issue. It is also an issue of trust.