A POSTCAPITALIST PARADIGM: THE COMMON GOOD OF ...

As for the second subject, monoculture has resulted in a type of agricultural
production which is extremely vulnerable to shocks, extremely
thirsty to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It is unsustainable type of
production. It has been well known that to produce one calorie of food,
using the western-industrial-chemical way of agriculture, ten calories of
fossil fuel are consumed. World cannot continue in this direction. And
now there are growing movements of alternative agriculture all over the
world, even in the west (e.g. organic farming permaculture, community
supported agriculture, and natural agriculture … etc.). Some of these alternatives
proved successful and competitively productive with more
fair distribution of revenues on involved parties.
The arguments that alternative sources of energy are not technologically
advanced, and accordingly not economically feasible, are challenged by
some scientists and politicians who claim that the technology is ready,
but oil multinationals and industrial corporations are not willing to make
a move in this direction, as long as cheaper oil sources in the Middle
East are still under control.
The shifting of agricultural lands to the energy production will destroy
the livelihoods of small farmers and poor communities in the third world.
The tragedies of rubber and oil palm farmers in East Asia are still in mind.
Moreover, it is the whole planet that was negatively affected by the removal
of rain forests which resulted in devastating environmental impact
on the ecosystem.
Climate change
Although Arab countries’ contributions to the emissions of greenhouse
gases are very little, some Arab countries are heading the list of those
who will be affected by the global warming and its consequences. Egypt
is an example. A considerable part of the northern Nile Delta is endangered
by the rise of Mediterranean Sea level. Nile Delta is the richest
agricultural soil in Egypt, where the majority of the Egyptian population
lives. Some scientists estimate that up to 30 % of the land in Nile Delta
will be flooded by sea water or will lose its fertility because of salination
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