Humans are aware. But don't change because either they don't want to put the work in, or don't want to change their routine habits. Try to get anyone to change how they do things. It's always a struggle to get them to change.There's not much great about America, that's hard to disagree, regarding humans... humans are really complex, self-aware and self-destructive, humans are probably the only complex enough species that can keep self-destructing while being completely aware of it and intentionally avoiding to change course.
Humans suck at long term planning. They only make changes under situations where they are forced to. Where an immediate danger is really close. But they usually react when it's too late. Humans are bad at feeling the pressure (the pressures that initiate motivations of change) of long term danger even if they are aware of it.