The atmosphere is paper-thin

Question:

If the earth is 8000 miles in diameter, and
If the breathable atmosphere is 15,000 feet (3 miles) thick, and,
If you hold a typical, elementary school globe 12 inches in diameter, then,
how thick is the atmosphere around the globe?

answer. 3/8000ths of a foot, times 12, = .0045 = less than 5 thousandths of an inch.

Quite coincidentally, that is approximately the thickness of a typical photocopy paper: http://www.google.com/search?q=thickness+of+copy+paper

Isn't it amazing that people are allowed to drive their cars, burn all kinds of fuels and dump *endless amounts* of CO2, not to mention poisonous gases, into this thin layer of atmosphere? Without *any* restrictions, or paying *any* price to the rest of us, who are affected by the harms they are causing to us?