ABSTRACT

The promise of conventional development is that by following in the footsteps of the 'developed' countries of the world, the 'underdeveloped' countries can become rich and comfortable too. Poverty will be eliminated, and the problems of overpopulation and environmental degradation will be solved. Development and the corporate-led trend toward globalisation depend upon continuous government investments. They require the building-up of a large-scale industrial infrastructure, including roads, mass communications facilities, energy installations, and schools for specialised education. Economists would dismiss these negative impacts, which are not so easily quantifiable as the monetary transactions that are the goal of economic development. The emerging world economy and the growing domination of science and technology are breaking down this natural and cultural diversity by remaking societies around the world, and particularly in the South, so as to conform to a single monoculture. Parallel to economic decentralisation, the production of energy would need to be decentralised.