For me the dream stems more for the realization that there is almost no way of living an environmentally sustainable lifestyle while participating in society.

For me the dream stems more for the realization that there is almost no way of living an environmentally sustainable lifestyle while participating in society. I want to have a zero carbon footprint now, not in 50 years. This is just not possible if I have to buy food at the grocery store, take fossil fuel powered transport or just generally participate in the economy of a system which still strives for infinite growth. Meanwhile, when living in a self sufficient community, it becomes absolutely possible to reach that goal, or even be carbon negative. Of course collapse is a very real possibility. But collapse is often asynchronous, occurring at different times in different places. In first world countries, I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't even happen within my lifetime, or at all In that case, will I feel bad that I decided to disengage early from a destructive society and live by my own beliefs? I don't believe so.