"The times of great and sudden change are also times of mass extinctions. We are currently going through a huge extinction of species."

I'll just point out that most current extinctions have more to do with habitat destruction than pollution/global-warming.
The only possible link between global warming and species collapse I know of is coral blanching (read: coral dies and becomes white because of changes in water temperature).
No need to make this a discussion of unrelated issues, I think.

As for the technologies being there: there is wind energy, solar energy, hydroelectric, etc., etc., it's the fossil fuel burning thermoelectric plants that create pollution. A progressive policy of tax credits could help make alternative (non-polluting) electricty generation more appealing and launch in the way to sustainability and replacement of polluting plants. One of the regulatory problems is grandfathering, old plants could be subject to the newer stricter regulations but aren't (we have this problem in Mxico too, further complicated by electricty being produced and distributed by a state owned monopoly).
The new hybrid gasoelectric cars are here, but there's no pressure for all car companies to make the move. They are a big step towards reduced automotive pollution.

The alternatives are there, but the socioeconomic inertia impeding their adoption won't be broken so easily without government intervention, IMO.