On a purely economic basis, retrofitting for wind and solar (and greywater) on the small scale may seem unprofitable now, but as peak oil heats up in the next few years, I believe those who do will increasingly be sitting pretty with regard to utility bills.
Peak oil is one (important) piece of the puzzle. But, there's a several-hundred-year supply of coal available to produce electricity (plus natural gas, hydro, and nuclear). So, I suspect that, even with peak oil, we won't see solar as a cost-effective alternative in our lifetimes.
Of course, just looking at the cost of electricity does not take into account externalities.
But, most people look as the choice between a signiicant spike in their energy bills (to cut GHGs) and compare that to an X degree increase in global temps a hundred years from now (when they'll be long dead and gone) and think, "I'd rather have cheap energy."
But it's fun tending to the garden and watching stuff grow. And overcoming obstacles - there's always a challenge in veggie gardening - for example, the first yuear I tried growing tomatoes, all I was able to grow were tiny tomatoes, rather frustrating for the time and effort I put into it. But last year I had a decent crop and I enjoyed nice salads from veggies I grew myself. I also grew quite a lot of rutabagas, which are like a small turnip, but which goes great with potatoes and stews. Most folks here also grow their own potatoes, never buying them from the store at all, but I don't have the space. I've never had luck with growing pumpkins or watermelon here, but this year I've started growing watermelons inside my house and they're actually starting to grow, but I'll keep them inside probably until mid-June before transplanting outside. I've experimented with different variesties of flowers as well and I have a better idea of what grows well here, and which attracts bees and birds. I'd love to see butterflies here, but despite growing flowers that are supposed to attract butterflies, I've still yet to see any. But last summer I had hummingbirds for the first time! And this is a very cold climate for gardening - overcoming these sorts of challenges makes life just a bit more enjoyable.
