I disagree autogyro. Every fashion has a trend and trends have cycles. A hark to the past could be a welcome change. We're seeing growth in sports that are far more violent and graphic than any car race, for instance Full Contact Jousting (yes, knights on horses with big sticks) and Ultimate Fighting, to name two. The public's desire to see 'blood and guts' remains as strong as ever. So the 'safety' banner flies under the weight of a minority.
I personally thing they can run V12 gas guzzlers while still 'being green' - you just approach it from a different angle. But they don't even need too. F1 isn't about changing the world - it's about racing - pure sporting glory. Just as F1 says "we don't get involved in political issues" (re: Bahrain, Russia etc), well, doesn't the same apply here? It's this continued opposing messages from F1 that has all of questioning what it is. The fact even us hardcore long term fans can't agree, surely speaks volumes.