{"id":271,"date":"2014-09-01T02:19:57","date_gmt":"2014-09-01T02:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/cop20\/?p=271"},"modified":"2014-09-21T15:16:35","modified_gmt":"2014-09-21T15:16:35","slug":"the-mistakes-of-the-industrial-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/cop20\/2014\/09\/01\/the-mistakes-of-the-industrial-revolution\/","title":{"rendered":"The mistakes of the Industrial Revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

After reading Spencer R. Wearts book \u201cThe Discovery of Climate Change\u201d I realize that the science behind global warming is extremely simple.\u00a0 As early as the 19th<\/sup> century scientists had already figured out what greenhouse gases<\/a> were and identified CO2\u00a0as a threat. \u00a0The logic behind it is also extremely simple, without carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases\u00a0the earth would freeze. \u00a0Not only were greenhouse gases identified but by the time the industrial revolution was in full swing, scientists already knew that human created machines emitted large quantities of carbon dioxide<\/a>. \u00a0I immediately thought, what were we [they] thinking? \u00a0I then began to think about pre-industrial life to a post industrial standard, and I became clear that the idea of machinery and higher standards of living blew environmental preservation right out of the water. \u00a0It is simply human nature. \u00a0As humans we seek constantly seek to better our lot in life. \u00a0As history has shown, long term issues are rarely considered when confronted with short term problems. \u00a0That sounds pretty bleak and slightly putting down the entire human race. \u00a0While continuing to read, and kept pondering the same question: \u00a0“if people knew, why didn’t they try and change then?” \u00a0Early industrialization led to machinery that could mass produce items as well as agricultural advances. \u00a0At this point, coal smoke was the primary emission of these early machines. \u00a0Coal was one of the only viable fuel sources at the time, so of course it was used. \u00a0Still this doesn’t explain why people didn’t try and rectify it early on. \u00a0I think it is actually pretty clear, and possibly another by product of human nature. \u00a0People back then did understand greenhouse gases, but couldn’t begin to comprehend the advances of technology or the true effects of CO2 emissions, in short they couldn’t predict what was to come.<\/p>\n

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By the early 1900’s some people had begin to predict future issues, which fell largely on deaf ears as the developed world was facing many other more”pressing” issues. \u00a0Part of me thinks there is blame to be placed on early industry but in reality, there wasn’t many other fuel options. \u00a0Only in the last part of the 20th century has technology surpassed fossil fuels. \u00a0Now renewable resources and processes for harnessing them are extremely viable. \u00a0Maybe there was no other way to industrialize than with fossil fuel, but in todays time, there is certainly enough technology and initiative to rectify those mistakes, and turn from a fossil fuel society to one based on renewables.<\/p>\n

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After reading Spencer R. Wearts book \u201cThe Discovery of Climate Change\u201d I realize that the science behind global warming is extremely simple.\u00a0 As early as the 19th century scientists had already figured out what greenhouse gases were and identified CO2\u00a0as a threat. \u00a0The logic behind it is also extremely simple, without carbon dioxide and other … <\/p>\n

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