You don't have to completely pretend climate change isn't happening. Climate change is a drag, and unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about it, unless everyone wants to take part in a full-scale revolution on energy consumption.
As for the deficit, it's definitely a ticking time bomb. It's become easy to ignore because the # is literally incomprehensible to most people (myself included); most figure $5 trillion, $17 trillion, $100 trillion...what's the difference?
Sooner or later, China just won't subsidize us anymore. Frankly, it's embarassing that a country like ours is not able to balance the budget & live within their means; it's a mirror on how we live our lives individually.
Anyway, the correct answer is that we do spend too much. If the only answer for how to finance a new program, or save an old program, is "raise taxes some more," that's just not a viable solution.