Sulfuric acid emitted from coal plants still produces acid rain in the southeast. Despite the fact I haven't changed my handle I now live in Colorado, and the legacy of metals mining is a never ending environmental problem here. (and affects our day-to-day lives much more than CO2). Fracking is another concern (although I'm not opposed totally, but more oversight is needed...starting with knowing what chemical are in hydraulic fracking fluid so we know how to deal with a problem when one arises).
There are 2 major differences between other environmental issues and CO2:
1) For the most part, only atmospheric pollution affects those in other countries. For example the horrible water quality in India and China doesn't affect us.
2) Other forms of pollution are regulated...Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA, NEPA, Endangered Species Act....There are regulatory mechanisms in place for dealing with these other issues, and for the most part our environment in the US has gotten much cleaner since the 70s when most of those laws were past. We are still dealing with them, and it will take a while to solve them, but there at least is a process. There is currently no mechanism for dealing with CO2, and nothing being done to slow the CO2 output.