Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution and the Environment
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Industrial Revolution and the Environment
Introduction
Since the 19th Century, human beings have experienced a period of rapid industrialization. This was caused by the discovery of new ways of production, exploration of minerals, wars and conflicts, population growth and many other reasons. Industrialization was one of the positive steps taken to enable a country amass wealth. However, industrialization has its negative impacts on people’s lives. The environment is the most affected part of human life. Whenever the environment is not protected and maintained, the human beings, plants, and animals are bound to suffer. Due to the concerns raised, countries such as the United States of America have adopted various mechanisms to protect the environment from being destroyed by industrialization.
Three Environmentally Adverse Impacts of the Industrial Revolution
Coal energy was developed in order to satisfy the energy demands that had outstripped supply. Many industries were started in the United States and European countries. In addition, people needed electricity to power their homes especially after the invention of the light bulb. Advancement in transport technology also led the manufacture of electric trains in several European countries. All these facilities required electric power to run. As a result, cheap energy sources were required. Coal was preferred since it was cheap and readily available.
In the early 20th century, advancement in technology led to the invention of automobiles.

Started in the European countries, the invention spread to the US, Asia, South America and Africa. Vehicles were manufactured in different sizes and for different purposes. Automobiles became the most preferred modes of transport all over the world due to their mobility (Guttikunda, & Mohan, 2014). Presently, there are hundreds of millions of cars that are used in all corners of the world. Moreover, multinational companies such as Toyota, Ford, and Volkswagen are manufacturing millions of cars annually due to the rising demand.
In the manufacture of consumer goods, factories were required in order to increase production. As a result, industrial designers created factories without due regard to the environmental consequences that came about with the factories. Profit margins and market satisfaction were the main drivers in the design of plants. As time went by, factories that were meant to manufacture poisonous chemicals such as pesticides were constructed. Such factories require technologies that factored in the needs of the environment. During the industrial revolution, these technologies were not present thereby endangering the environment.
How have the Negative Impacts Affected the Environment?
The environment suffered adversely as a result of the three industrial activities discussed. The use of coal as a form of energy led to the change of the environment. Coal is a mineral that has to be extracted from the ground. Without the mining, coal would not be used at all. Mining of coal was an enormous task that involved the destruction of forests and use of explosives to blast rocks to mine the coal beneath them. Mining is one of the most environmentally destructive activities that man can engage in if not properly looked at (Beach & Hanlon, 2016). Coal mining led to the creation of large pits that were filled with poisonous substances used in the mining process. The destruction of the nearby vegetation also led to the death of living creatures that survived in the area before the mining activity.
The discovery of automobiles also led to the destruction and change of the environment. Vehicles use engines that use combustion technology. The engines use fuel such as petrol and diesel to enable the vehicles to move from one place to another. The byproduct of the combustion process is the release of smoke. In addition, vehicles that have faulty engines or fail to undergo periodic servicing produce poisonous smoke that affects the environment. Once the smoke is released into the atmosphere, it leads to air pollution. As a result, living things do not breathe fresh air. The smoke leads to the increase of Carbon dioxide levels in the environment, which results in global warming. Global warming, on its part, leads to the change in rain patterns and heat waves.
Construction of factories due to industrialization has had its fair share in the adverse change of the environment. Factories release effluent gases and liquids into the environment. Factories that produce chemicals are the most affected due to the raw materials used in the manufacturing process. The factories have large chimneys that release smoke and poisonous gases into the atmosphere. Chinese and Indian cities have recorded large amounts of smog in the air due to industries. In addition, some industries are constructed next to water bodies such as rivers, seas, lakes, and oceans. This is because of the large amounts of water needed to run the factories. The sad bit is that some of these factories release industrial waste into these water bodies without treatment. The living creatures that survive in the water bodies die. Moreover, human beings cannot drink water from these water bodies.
Effects of the Environmental Movement on Industrialization in the US
The Environmental Movement in the US is composed of various stakeholders such as non-governmental organizations that are concerned with issues environment. The movement has had positive contributions regarding environmental issues. For instance, the movement has pressured the US government to create legislation that protects the environment. Secondly, the movement has created public awareness thereby enabling millions of Americans to understand the need to conserve the environment (Bertels, Hoffman & DeJordy, 2014). The movement has also joined efforts with other organizations concerned with animal rights to advocate for the conservation of environments where endangered animals live. These contributions have made industrialists wary of engaging in activities that may lead to environmental degradation.
Laws Passed Regarding Environmental Issues in America
Several legislations have been passed to conserve the environment in the US and the world in general. Some of these laws include the Clean Airs Act that was passed by Congress in 1963. This law was intended to control the air pollution in the US. The Clean Water Act was passed in 1960 with the aim of controlling the quality of water in American water bodies. The act prohibited water pollution by industries. In 1964, Congress also enacted the Wilderness Act. The Act sought to set aside some areas in order to protect them from exploitation by man. For instance, endangered living creatures were protected under these lands.
After the Environmental Movements in the 1970s, various legislations have been passed by Congress regarding the environment. Among these laws was the Recourse Conservation and Recovery Act Amendment that was finalized in 1984 (Lazarus, 2014). The act enabled the country to create mechanisms to conserve the environment by focusing on resource conservation.
State of the Environment after the Passing of Legislations
The state of the environment has dramatically improved due to the enactment of these laws. For instance, the levels of smog in many cities in America are low compared to what was experienced before environmental conservation was started. In addition, companies are much wary of dangers associated with the destruction of the environment due to penalties that they face if found guilty of polluting the environment.
In order to improve the environmental situation, various steps should be taken by the government and concerned parties. For instance, young children should be taught about the environment right from elementary school level. In addition, the government should ensure that all companies regardless of their activities establish a consolidated fund to help conserve the environment.
Conclusion
Industrialization is the dream of all countries all over the world. This is due to the self-sustenance that arises because of achieving this fete. However, people should be wary about the negative consequences associated with industrialization. The environment should be the first factor to be considered to save humanity from gradual destruction.
References
Beach, B., & Hanlon, W. W. (2016). Coal smoke and mortality in an early industrial economy. The Economic Journal.
Bertels, S., Hoffman, A. J., & DeJordy, R. (2014). The varied work of challenger movements: Identifying challenger roles in the US environmental movement. Organization Studies, 35(8), 1171-1210.
Guttikunda, S. K., & Mohan, D. (2014). Re-fueling road transport for better air quality in India. Energy Policy, 68, 556-561.
Lazarus, R. (2014). Environmental Law Without Congress.Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law, 30(1), 15-34.