my essay is finished
yet to be proof read!!!
POL11EEH
What impact have changes in energy production and consumption since the industrial revolution had on the global environment?
Since the Industrial Revolution the world has encountered great economic, technological, political and social change. Traditional methods of production were revolutionised as new technological developments emerged, therefore leading to an increase in energy production and consumption. Industry production was totally revolutionised with the development of the factory. The changes in production led to the extraordinary growth in energy consumption as it became essential for powering the major industrial developments experienced during the revolution. The increased production led to mass consumerism which helped establish the modern capitalism in western economies. With the establishment of market economies, consumerism therefore became a way of life. Energy production and consumption has led to the exploitation of resources as this practise has harsh consequences on environment.
The Industrial Revolution was a great period of change between 1750 and 1830. British society transformed from a largely rural population to a town-centred society.1 The British Industrial revolution rapidly accelerated as technological developments occurred and small hand tools were replaced by steam and electricity driven machinery. An incredible demographic shift occurred because crucial industrial resources such as coal and iron were in Central and Northern England. The population boomed in industrial areas as labourers left farms to work in factories. The establishment of widespread credit, business corporations, investments and large-scale stock markets all become common practise. Britain led the way in the creation of this new society. These social and economic transformations established the modern capitalist system.
The ‘London Globe’ published the term "Smog" in 1905. This term was coined in 1905 and originated from a speech by the Public Health Congress. Smog was fundamentally a word used to describe a mixture of smoke and fog however it is a toxic combination of sulphur dioxide, suspended droplets of sulphuric acid, and a variety of suspended solid particles in the air. 2This illustrates the environmental problems emerging from the extensive burning of wood, gas and coal in the Industrial Revolution. Coal was a convenient source of energy that became the source for powering locomotives, factories and machinery. Coal was also used for smelting iron into steel and heating buildings. The production of energy was essential for fuelling the newly industrialised state, as production was detrimental for potential economic growth. .
After the wars and the prolonged economic slump of the Great Depression, governments reflected and responded to the prospect of economic growth. Europe was tired and devastated after the war so the United States emerged as the new world power. The Bretton Woods agreement was the framework for modern capitalism and established post war growth. The Keynesian economic theory utilized after the war was based on increasing wages and working class consumption along with increasing productivity of factories. As consumerism and mass productivity increased in free market economies, more energy was consumed. New electrical technologies were invented which revolutionised the standard of living and the development of the modern suburban home. Individuals were encouraged by governments and energy companies to consume large amounts of electricity so wattage could become cheaper.
Power stations became increasingly larger to cope with the rapid changes in consumer patterns. Massive coal plants and hydroelectric dams were constructed to cater for the boom in consumerism. Consumerism after the Second World War grew 50%. This had tremendous effects on the environment and the global commons shared by all humankind. Anthropologist Richard Robbins stated the “production, processing, and consumption, of commodities requires the extraction and use of natural resources it requires the creation of factories and factory complexes whose operation creates toxic by-products, while the use of commodities themselves creates pollutants and waste”. 3This perspective expresses the problematic nature of production, consumption and usage of commodities in daily life.
In the late 1800s during the revolution a new development in energy emerged, petroleum. By the turn of last century oil was being processed into gasoline and now firing combustion engines. A major oil crisis occurred in 1973 when OPEC nations temporarily stopped exporting oil to the US and the western world. This was a form of punishment by Arabs nations for the west’s support of Israel in Middle Eastern affairs.4This major event changed relations between the west and the Middle East as oil could be used as a weapon in both political and economical situations. Since the creation of capitalist societies it was a common belief among westerners that oil from the Middle East was a cheap and plentiful source of energy.
In 1973 the US consumed 6.3 billions of barrels of oil, this was almost three times as much oil consumed in the 1950s indicating the massive growth in consumerism. The immediate results of the Oil Crisis were dramatic and therefore consumption needed to decrease. The price of gasoline quadrupled and rationing was enforced by the Nixon government in the U.S. The massive economic growth experienced after the Second World War halted, both inflation and unemployment was high. This crisis ended the common idea that economic prosperity reflected oil consumption statistics. The oil crisis has been a catalyst for the development of new energy in the US, however they still consume 19.65 million barrels of oil a day, which equates to almost 20% of all oil consumed globally.5
Oil production can have nasty consequences. If oil is spilled at sea it instantly begins to move and weather, breaking down and changing its physical and chemical properties. As this occurs, the oil damages surface resources and various subsurface marine organisms. The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill illustrates an environmental disaster of the highest order. The sea, considered a global common, as it is not governed by any particular state experienced severe damage. The sea environment near Alaska and Canada felt the burden of this industrial accident. The impact on sea life was astounding as it is estimated that 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 otters, 300 seals, 250 bald eagles and up to 22 killer whales, and billions of salmon and herring eggs were killed.6 This disaster is an indication of the problems that energy production can inflict upon the global environment.
Since the illumination of the first light bulb on Wall Street, various methods of energy production have been invented since the Industrial Revolution as a means of providing society with sufficient energy to consume. The most controversial type of power is nuclear power. Chernobyl, a nuclear power planet in the USSR (now Ukraine) caused massive disasters. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev described the industrial debacle as “out of control” as the tragedy unfolded in 1987.7 The area around the Nuclear reactor was damaged causing both acute and long-term environmental problems. The plume caused by radioactive pollutants travels via air and causes contamination. The radiation travelled to Nordic countries, the hardest hit was Sweden. The plume had awful consequences that cost Sweden $100 Million US dollars in the year after the misfortune. The nuclear fallout also caused around 100 fatalities due to cancer derived from high doses of radiation.8 This was a catalyst for anti-nuclear attitudes in Nordic states as 65% of the population after the event were against nuclear power after first hand experiencing the effects of nuclear disaster.
Coal production also has damaging environmental effects as the burning of fossil fuels causes atmospheric damage like pollution. Air pollution is a devastating consequence that potentially damages the ozone layer. Human activity is largely responsible for this tragedy. The two main pollutants, which cause air pollution, are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). NOx are nitrogen-oxygen compounds that include nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, burning fossil fuels produces them. VOC are carbon-containing vapours and gases such as gasoline fumes and solvents. 9Approximately 95 per cent of nitrogen oxides come from the burning of coal, gas and oil in motor vehicles, homes, industries and energy production. These pollutants not only endanger human health but they significantly damage vegetation and the productivity of crops. Modern human activity is largely responsible for this tragedy, as environmental sustainability has been sacrificed for economic interests.
The 1960’s were a time of ideological liberalism and utopian exhilaration. The world was awaking to their social consciousness and the theory of environmentalism began to play a significant role in world affairs. Innovative works such as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) and various influential works by the Sierra Club helped raise public awareness of environmental concerns. It was not until the 1960’s that the majority of society realised the awful effects human behaviour was causing to the global environment. Therefore a new social movement emerged and environmental issues evolved as an issue in both national and international affairs.
The conflict of interests in economic growth and environmental impact has caused great debate in international relations. In 1983 the United Nations appointed an international commission to formulate strategies for sustainable development. The theory of sustainable development promotes meeting the needs of the present demands without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. 10This Commission was chaired by Norwegian Prime-Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The debate focused on finding methods of promoting economic and social development in ways, which avoided environmental degradation, over exploitation of resources and pollution. Global commons are natural resources used by the global community and not under the jurisdiction of any particular nation eg oceans and atmosphere. The Exxon and Chernobyl disasters both illustrate damages to global commons and how it affects many nations, not just the one in which the environmental catastrophe occurs.
Ensuring that resources are not exploited provides a great challenge as it perplexes scholars and governments. Environmental issues are trans-national issues as the environment is shared by all peoples, not a particular state. Environmental disasters are generally not deliberate acts of governments, therefore it is difficult for states to take responsibility. It is crucial that the prevention of the tragedy of commons is enforced. Implementing a good system of environmental protection relies on input from groups including governments, corporations, communities and non-government organizations.11 Currently there are over 130 multilateral and hundreds of bi-lateral environmental agreements.
The emerging importance of the environment was becoming evident as in 1972 the UN held the Conference in the Human Environment. This conference assisted the establishment of international framework of a global approach to tackling problems such as air pollution which became a growing concern after the environmental awakening of the 1960s. Nations came together in an effort to manage global commons and reduce translational pollution. Industrialised countries cause pollution, therefore developing nations debated that they are less responsible for the damages caused by the consumption of energy. The Stockholm conference had great lasting legacy on the international environmental issues which led to the establishment of many global and regional environmental monitoring programmes. It acknowledged states’ sovereignty over their natural resources and that states have the responsibility to ensure that activities within their boundaries do not cause damage to the environment of other states. The conference was revolutionary as many nations as a result of the conference set up ministers for the environment causing political interest in the field.
In 1989 The UN held and Earth Summit in Rio to promote and retain sustainable development. This was 20 years after the conference in Stockholm. In Rio the UN helped governments review economic development and find methods which would halt destruction of irreplaceable natural resources and pollution of the planet. The summit insisted that society change its attitude so the damage to the environment could cease. The Earth Summit of December 1989 led to planning, education and negotiations among all Member States of the United Nations, leading to the adoption of Agenda 21, a blueprint for action to achieve sustainable development globally. In 1997, this conference was followed up in New York to review the progress after the Rio Summit. A great deal has improved since Rio, however industrialised nations still continue to exploit natural resources.
It is evident that the exploitation of resources is far greater in industrialised nations as the UN ’World Energy Assessment’ discovered that 1/3 of the worlds population were deprived of access to commercial energy production. The UN Development Programme, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the World Energy Council are trying to find a means of accessible and sustainable energy production. It is essential to find a means of clean energy production as current methods of energy production, contribute to environmental problems, including global warming and degradation of the global environment.
Consideration of the impact on future energy consumption and climate change policies could be radically changed if the Kyoto protocol is ratified. However nations like Australia and the U.S are refusing to sign the treaty in the fear that it will have a negative impact of economic growth. The U.S fears “reducing greenhouse gas emissions will hurt the U.S. economy” according to Kert Davies the Director of Greenpeace's U.S. Global Warming Campaign. 12He also believes the “treaty will be beneficial and start the world moving in the right direction". 13Between 1990 and 1996, CO2 emissions grew from 287 to 314 million tonnes.14 The constant burning of fossil fuels for energy production significantly affects the quantity of CO2 emissions. This is likely to continue in the future until a new cheap form of production becomes readily available. It is essential to devise a more environmentally safe resource to fuel the economies of the world.
While improvements in recent times have been made in recent years in an attempt to rectify the environmental damage caused by energy production and consumption it has had far reaching consequences on the global environment. The Industrial Revolution brought about great change to industry however the impact on global commons and the exploitation of natural resources has been devastating. Excess consumerism in western nations has also had devastating effects on the global environment leading to permanent environmental consequences.
POL11EEH
What impact have changes in energy production and consumption since the industrial revolution had on the global environment?
Since the Industrial Revolution the world has encountered great economic, technological, political and social change. Traditional methods of production were revolutionised as new technological developments emerged, therefore leading to an increase in energy production and consumption. Industry production was totally revolutionised with the development of the factory. The changes in production led to the extraordinary growth in energy consumption as it became essential for powering the major industrial developments experienced during the revolution. The increased production led to mass consumerism which helped establish the modern capitalism in western economies. With the establishment of market economies, consumerism therefore became a way of life. Energy production and consumption has led to the exploitation of resources as this practise has harsh consequences on environment.
The Industrial Revolution was a great period of change between 1750 and 1830. British society transformed from a largely rural population to a town-centred society.1 The British Industrial revolution rapidly accelerated as technological developments occurred and small hand tools were replaced by steam and electricity driven machinery. An incredible demographic shift occurred because crucial industrial resources such as coal and iron were in Central and Northern England. The population boomed in industrial areas as labourers left farms to work in factories. The establishment of widespread credit, business corporations, investments and large-scale stock markets all become common practise. Britain led the way in the creation of this new society. These social and economic transformations established the modern capitalist system.
The ‘London Globe’ published the term "Smog" in 1905. This term was coined in 1905 and originated from a speech by the Public Health Congress. Smog was fundamentally a word used to describe a mixture of smoke and fog however it is a toxic combination of sulphur dioxide, suspended droplets of sulphuric acid, and a variety of suspended solid particles in the air. 2This illustrates the environmental problems emerging from the extensive burning of wood, gas and coal in the Industrial Revolution. Coal was a convenient source of energy that became the source for powering locomotives, factories and machinery. Coal was also used for smelting iron into steel and heating buildings. The production of energy was essential for fuelling the newly industrialised state, as production was detrimental for potential economic growth. .
After the wars and the prolonged economic slump of the Great Depression, governments reflected and responded to the prospect of economic growth. Europe was tired and devastated after the war so the United States emerged as the new world power. The Bretton Woods agreement was the framework for modern capitalism and established post war growth. The Keynesian economic theory utilized after the war was based on increasing wages and working class consumption along with increasing productivity of factories. As consumerism and mass productivity increased in free market economies, more energy was consumed. New electrical technologies were invented which revolutionised the standard of living and the development of the modern suburban home. Individuals were encouraged by governments and energy companies to consume large amounts of electricity so wattage could become cheaper.
Power stations became increasingly larger to cope with the rapid changes in consumer patterns. Massive coal plants and hydroelectric dams were constructed to cater for the boom in consumerism. Consumerism after the Second World War grew 50%. This had tremendous effects on the environment and the global commons shared by all humankind. Anthropologist Richard Robbins stated the “production, processing, and consumption, of commodities requires the extraction and use of natural resources it requires the creation of factories and factory complexes whose operation creates toxic by-products, while the use of commodities themselves creates pollutants and waste”. 3This perspective expresses the problematic nature of production, consumption and usage of commodities in daily life.
In the late 1800s during the revolution a new development in energy emerged, petroleum. By the turn of last century oil was being processed into gasoline and now firing combustion engines. A major oil crisis occurred in 1973 when OPEC nations temporarily stopped exporting oil to the US and the western world. This was a form of punishment by Arabs nations for the west’s support of Israel in Middle Eastern affairs.4This major event changed relations between the west and the Middle East as oil could be used as a weapon in both political and economical situations. Since the creation of capitalist societies it was a common belief among westerners that oil from the Middle East was a cheap and plentiful source of energy.
In 1973 the US consumed 6.3 billions of barrels of oil, this was almost three times as much oil consumed in the 1950s indicating the massive growth in consumerism. The immediate results of the Oil Crisis were dramatic and therefore consumption needed to decrease. The price of gasoline quadrupled and rationing was enforced by the Nixon government in the U.S. The massive economic growth experienced after the Second World War halted, both inflation and unemployment was high. This crisis ended the common idea that economic prosperity reflected oil consumption statistics. The oil crisis has been a catalyst for the development of new energy in the US, however they still consume 19.65 million barrels of oil a day, which equates to almost 20% of all oil consumed globally.5
Oil production can have nasty consequences. If oil is spilled at sea it instantly begins to move and weather, breaking down and changing its physical and chemical properties. As this occurs, the oil damages surface resources and various subsurface marine organisms. The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill illustrates an environmental disaster of the highest order. The sea, considered a global common, as it is not governed by any particular state experienced severe damage. The sea environment near Alaska and Canada felt the burden of this industrial accident. The impact on sea life was astounding as it is estimated that 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 otters, 300 seals, 250 bald eagles and up to 22 killer whales, and billions of salmon and herring eggs were killed.6 This disaster is an indication of the problems that energy production can inflict upon the global environment.
Since the illumination of the first light bulb on Wall Street, various methods of energy production have been invented since the Industrial Revolution as a means of providing society with sufficient energy to consume. The most controversial type of power is nuclear power. Chernobyl, a nuclear power planet in the USSR (now Ukraine) caused massive disasters. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev described the industrial debacle as “out of control” as the tragedy unfolded in 1987.7 The area around the Nuclear reactor was damaged causing both acute and long-term environmental problems. The plume caused by radioactive pollutants travels via air and causes contamination. The radiation travelled to Nordic countries, the hardest hit was Sweden. The plume had awful consequences that cost Sweden $100 Million US dollars in the year after the misfortune. The nuclear fallout also caused around 100 fatalities due to cancer derived from high doses of radiation.8 This was a catalyst for anti-nuclear attitudes in Nordic states as 65% of the population after the event were against nuclear power after first hand experiencing the effects of nuclear disaster.
Coal production also has damaging environmental effects as the burning of fossil fuels causes atmospheric damage like pollution. Air pollution is a devastating consequence that potentially damages the ozone layer. Human activity is largely responsible for this tragedy. The two main pollutants, which cause air pollution, are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). NOx are nitrogen-oxygen compounds that include nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, burning fossil fuels produces them. VOC are carbon-containing vapours and gases such as gasoline fumes and solvents. 9Approximately 95 per cent of nitrogen oxides come from the burning of coal, gas and oil in motor vehicles, homes, industries and energy production. These pollutants not only endanger human health but they significantly damage vegetation and the productivity of crops. Modern human activity is largely responsible for this tragedy, as environmental sustainability has been sacrificed for economic interests.
The 1960’s were a time of ideological liberalism and utopian exhilaration. The world was awaking to their social consciousness and the theory of environmentalism began to play a significant role in world affairs. Innovative works such as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) and various influential works by the Sierra Club helped raise public awareness of environmental concerns. It was not until the 1960’s that the majority of society realised the awful effects human behaviour was causing to the global environment. Therefore a new social movement emerged and environmental issues evolved as an issue in both national and international affairs.
The conflict of interests in economic growth and environmental impact has caused great debate in international relations. In 1983 the United Nations appointed an international commission to formulate strategies for sustainable development. The theory of sustainable development promotes meeting the needs of the present demands without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. 10This Commission was chaired by Norwegian Prime-Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The debate focused on finding methods of promoting economic and social development in ways, which avoided environmental degradation, over exploitation of resources and pollution. Global commons are natural resources used by the global community and not under the jurisdiction of any particular nation eg oceans and atmosphere. The Exxon and Chernobyl disasters both illustrate damages to global commons and how it affects many nations, not just the one in which the environmental catastrophe occurs.
Ensuring that resources are not exploited provides a great challenge as it perplexes scholars and governments. Environmental issues are trans-national issues as the environment is shared by all peoples, not a particular state. Environmental disasters are generally not deliberate acts of governments, therefore it is difficult for states to take responsibility. It is crucial that the prevention of the tragedy of commons is enforced. Implementing a good system of environmental protection relies on input from groups including governments, corporations, communities and non-government organizations.11 Currently there are over 130 multilateral and hundreds of bi-lateral environmental agreements.
The emerging importance of the environment was becoming evident as in 1972 the UN held the Conference in the Human Environment. This conference assisted the establishment of international framework of a global approach to tackling problems such as air pollution which became a growing concern after the environmental awakening of the 1960s. Nations came together in an effort to manage global commons and reduce translational pollution. Industrialised countries cause pollution, therefore developing nations debated that they are less responsible for the damages caused by the consumption of energy. The Stockholm conference had great lasting legacy on the international environmental issues which led to the establishment of many global and regional environmental monitoring programmes. It acknowledged states’ sovereignty over their natural resources and that states have the responsibility to ensure that activities within their boundaries do not cause damage to the environment of other states. The conference was revolutionary as many nations as a result of the conference set up ministers for the environment causing political interest in the field.
In 1989 The UN held and Earth Summit in Rio to promote and retain sustainable development. This was 20 years after the conference in Stockholm. In Rio the UN helped governments review economic development and find methods which would halt destruction of irreplaceable natural resources and pollution of the planet. The summit insisted that society change its attitude so the damage to the environment could cease. The Earth Summit of December 1989 led to planning, education and negotiations among all Member States of the United Nations, leading to the adoption of Agenda 21, a blueprint for action to achieve sustainable development globally. In 1997, this conference was followed up in New York to review the progress after the Rio Summit. A great deal has improved since Rio, however industrialised nations still continue to exploit natural resources.
It is evident that the exploitation of resources is far greater in industrialised nations as the UN ’World Energy Assessment’ discovered that 1/3 of the worlds population were deprived of access to commercial energy production. The UN Development Programme, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the World Energy Council are trying to find a means of accessible and sustainable energy production. It is essential to find a means of clean energy production as current methods of energy production, contribute to environmental problems, including global warming and degradation of the global environment.
Consideration of the impact on future energy consumption and climate change policies could be radically changed if the Kyoto protocol is ratified. However nations like Australia and the U.S are refusing to sign the treaty in the fear that it will have a negative impact of economic growth. The U.S fears “reducing greenhouse gas emissions will hurt the U.S. economy” according to Kert Davies the Director of Greenpeace's U.S. Global Warming Campaign. 12He also believes the “treaty will be beneficial and start the world moving in the right direction". 13Between 1990 and 1996, CO2 emissions grew from 287 to 314 million tonnes.14 The constant burning of fossil fuels for energy production significantly affects the quantity of CO2 emissions. This is likely to continue in the future until a new cheap form of production becomes readily available. It is essential to devise a more environmentally safe resource to fuel the economies of the world.
While improvements in recent times have been made in recent years in an attempt to rectify the environmental damage caused by energy production and consumption it has had far reaching consequences on the global environment. The Industrial Revolution brought about great change to industry however the impact on global commons and the exploitation of natural resources has been devastating. Excess consumerism in western nations has also had devastating effects on the global environment leading to permanent environmental consequences.