Do Increased Energy Costs Offer Opportunities for a New Agriculture

One of the great missteps in most of the future energy scenarios propagated in the popular media is the notion that we can transition to "alternative, renewable energy" and thereby "wean ourselves from Mideast oil." The underlying assumptions in this scenario seem to be that energy supply is an isolated challenge that can be solved without major systemic changes, that we can meet that challenge by simply switching from one energy source to another—from fossil fuels to wind, solar, biofuels or a host of other alternatives—and that our current industrial culture and economy then can continue on the present course. This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website , where most recent articles are published in full. Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.