Notice that the press and politicians see this as a problem with not having enough workers to make "stuff".

What is it going to take to get people to realize that this is an opportunity to transform society into one less dependent on non-renewable resources?

This is exactly the problem, the elites continue to think of the people as cannon fodder or cheap unqualified labour. With a declining, more experienced population (where people over the age of 60 won't be "elderly" but active) you can improve the standard of living even if GDP stops growing.

Any people in areas where these demographic changes are happening interested in making some remarks on how things are changing?

In Spain there is a growing problem with people of middle-age and older, even nearing retirement, who have to take care of elderly parents in their 70's, 80's or 90's. The government is reacting to this by instituting support mechanisms through a "Dependency Law".

Those whom the Gods wish to destroy They first make mad. -- Euripides