Air pollution problems have been solved before economically - so why not greenhouse gas emissions?

Greenhouse gases are essentially air pollution, although this time it's a truly global form of pollution with potentially catastrophic consequences to civilization. Previous air pollution problems have been solved or eliminated quicker and cheaper than first predicted. Forty years ago urban smog was growing so fast that President Johnson warned our nation of its serious consequences. During Reagan's presidency, CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) threatened the ozone layer. Even in the current U.S. administration, acid rain was admitted to be a threat to Appalachian forests.

In every previous case, regulations were enacted that mitigated or solved these problems without economic harm. Smog has declined appreciably, CFCs have been virtually eliminated permitting the ozone layer to begin repairing itself, and acid rain has declined with resulting improvements to the state of Appalachian forests.

So why do many of the skeptics argue that solutions to global warming will be so costly that severe economic harm will be done? See this article from Atlantic Monthly: Some Convenient Truths