"It is unlikely that peak oil and global warming will be successfully dealt with without concerted government and industry action."
Russ, unfortunately it's Government and industry that's the cause of both peak oil and Global warming and it will continue to be that way whilst the Halliburtons, Rothschilds, the IMF and the World Bank are pulling Global purse strings. You talk about relocalisation and permaculture at the very same time Monsanto is suing farmers in America for accidently growing their GE modified crop due to seed drift. Monsanto and companies just like them are hell bent on controlling what we grow and eat so that all money flows back to them. They continue to fund the war machine that kills children and starves Nations all in the name of making obscene amounts of money for their CEO's and shareholders and people in Western Nations go gullibly on their merry way of supporting them by buying more and more rubbish they don't need.
Peak oil, Global warming (no, not climate change) and the crop failures that come with them will hit very hard. Humans have become like a virus on the planet and whilst there are certainly many people who try to live a more sustainable lifestyle, there are so many more that are only too ready to greedily soak up the excess left behind by those who care for the environment and live on less. Governments and big business not only pander to the whims of the greedy majority, they actively encourage it to support the "growth equals wealth" illusion that so many have been drawn into.
I loved your article, but I should warn you now, don't rely on Government, either Federal, State or local to help establish sustainable communities. They'll continue the "money grab" until the death nell of humanity sounds across the lands.

“First of all they need to distance themselves from apocalyptic thinking…”

I disagree. How do we emphasise the urgency to act without emphasising the likely consequences if we don’t act, or don’t act sufficiently strongly? The consequences are indeed potentially apocalyptic.

“Another quality is that of not putting full responsibility….on the shoulders of….individuals”

That should go without saying. Action needs to happen at all levels.

The greatest quality of all would be the ability to make it happen in a manner that takes us off the crazy growth spiral and places us on a sustainable foundation, instead of addressing issues below this overall level…and just allowing human expansionism to continue unabated.

‘Well of course’, you say. ‘Why do I bother mentioning this?’

Because despite all the concern and activity being geared towards peak oil / climate change issues, the growth spiral is still entrenched and inalienable. Currently, the direction we heading in is to effectively push everyone towards reducing per-capita impacts while facilitating the endless increase in the number of ‘capitas’….and the continued overall increase in fossil fuel usage, until we are forced off it….while giving the community the false impression that real reductions are being made or can be made in the near future.

This point was well made on Four Corners last night, where a rep of the Bush government was talking about reducing greenhouse gas emission intensity and letting it be understood as meaning total reductions in emissions, when it actually meant a reduction in output per unit of economic activity, with the overall output continuing to increase.

Yes it is time to reconcile the errors of the ways;
But it is not how you might think.
Read / Listen and ?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4312730277175242198&q=

Dear Sir or Madam,

Quoted in http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5538
is

"Perhaps the UK is the location where citizen action is most advanced. There, in the town of Kinsdale in Ireland,"

Ireland is not part of the UK. Kinsale ( no 'd' ) is in County Cork in the Republic of Ireland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland-United_Kingdom_border

Thanks...

Donal