The ecological impact of the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution marked a major turning

point on Earth’s ecology and humans’ relationship with their

environment. As the Industrial Revolution dramatically

changed every aspect of human life and lifestyles — from

human development, health and life longevity, to social

improvements — its human impact on natural resources,

public health, energy usage and sanitation would not begin

to register in the world’s psyche until the early 1960s, some

200 years after its beginnings.

It wasn’t that the Industrial Revolution became a

stalwart juggernaut overnight. It started in the mid-1700s in

Great Britain when machinery began to replace manual labor

and fossil fuels replaced wind, water, and wood primarily for

the manufacture of textiles and the development of iron

making processes. The full impact of the Industrial

Revolution would not begin to be realized until about 100

years later in the 1800s when the use of machines to replace

human labor spread throughout Europe, North America and

the rest of the world. This transformation is referred to as the

industrialization of the world — processes that gave rise to

sweeping increases in production capacity and would affect

all basic human needs including food production, medicine,

housing, and clothing. Not only did society develop the

ability to have more things quicker, it would be able to

develop better things. These industrialization processes

continue today.

Internet: ecology.com (adapted)