Like any good idea, it will take time before it gets wide spread recognition. People don't like change...they want tomorrow to be just like yesterday.
Look at the organic food movement as an example. A few people had been practicing organic principles for many years, but basically it took the '60's hippy movement of "back to the earth", defying the ADM's, ConAg's, and Monsanto's of the world. People said "It'll never work." Now, a generation later, "BigAg" is jumping on the bandwagon, hoping to get a slice of the pie that growing market is creating for healthier foods.
Hopefully, it won't take a full generation to get this next phase to be recognized as a legitimate, productive model. Communications are much better today, and the "Information Highway" has grown into a high speed international system with on ramps at every household.
Maybe scarcity of
gasoline, and other commodities will help nudge people in the right direction, but it will not happen until many people have seen many successful operations operating over a period of time. "The proof is in the pudding."