How to reduce the effects of Industrialization at home.

Industrialization is a very interesting topic because most of the time I am on both sides of arguments for it. On the side where I’ve studied physics, I support the advancement of technology and mankind. On the side I’ve studied geology, I am against industrialization for the sake of the environment. Industrialization is just the development of industries and society on a very wide scale. Such as the industrial revolution in the 1700s, when the black plague was finally settling down the population began to boom again, and industries begin to start popping up everywhere. The planet's population exploded, reaching 1 billion by 1800, then doubling again by 1926, and by the beginning of the 21st-century it had grown again to 6 billion. Coal is what mainly shifted power. Using Coal as a power source change the way that we looked at industry as just being for energy generation to more for manufacturing. We have been using Coal since the 13th century but it wasn’t until about the 1800s that it caused industrialization really started to take off. Back then, we weren’t really thinking about the potential impacts of burning coal and other fossil fuels for power, we are mostly concerned about growing as much as we can, as fast as we can, as far as possible. It’s only been recent that we started to assess the kind of impact that we’ve had on the environment as a direct result of that exponential growth.

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The biggest problem from industrialization is air pollution, which is caused by the smoke in the emissions that are created from burning things like fossil fuels. The United States EPA regulates more than 80 different toxins that can be found in industrial pollution, such as asbestos, lead, and chromium. Despite these regulations, industries are among the worst generators of air pollution in the world. Another big problem is water pollution, specifically in regions where factories are built next to water sources. These different toxins can be solid, liquid, or even sometimes gas, and can all end up contaminating local water sources such as in Flint Michigan. Even landfills and other waste disposal areas can drain toxins into the local water supply leading to water pollution in cases such as the River Nile. Of course, industrialization has led to dramatic habitat destruction. Forests are cut down for their lumber and ecosystems are destroyed to create roads, strip mines, and gravel pits. Destroying these habitats upset local ecosystems and tend to lead to plants and animals’ extinction if species are unable to relocate or adapt to their new surroundings.

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A surprising effect industrialization has had on the environment is with Iguanas in Florida. Green Iguanas are an invasive species in Florida and come from Central and South America. Packs of green iguanas are swarming seawalls, roaming yards and parks, and leaving a path of destruction and filth in their wake. Agency biologists say they don’t know how many iguanas are in Florida, but they know the kinds of problems they’re causing. These include “erosion, degradation of infrastructure such as water control structures, canal banks, sea walls, and building foundations,” state biologist Dan Quinn said in an email. “Climate change is helping them spread quickly in South Florida,” said Joseph Wasilewski, who has studied green iguanas for 40 years. He’s part of the University of Florida’s “Croc Docs” team of scientists who study wildlife in Florida and the Caribbean. “Climate change certainly has something to do with it,” Wasilewski said. “It’s warming things up and allowing them to go further north, and increased demand for timber has led to deforestation and logging of these forests [The Amazon], resulting in negative consequences for many of the animal species dependent on these environments. The destruction of habitat causes animals to flee certain areas and greatly decreases their populations, sometimes resulting in extinction.” Or in the case of the Iguanas, a prolonged trip to Miami.

Now that we know the impact that industrialization has on the environment, some actions can be taken about it, but there are only two main solutions, either factories or our legislators can take to help reduce the impacts of the pollution. First industries can reduce their resilience on a product that is causing pollution. Which mostly means their ability to alter their products to reduce as much pollution as they can from it. one good example of this is removing lead from gasoline as we did in the 1970s or removing lead from paints, we’ve lowered our dependency on lead which has reduced the amount of this heavy metal being drained into the surrounding environment. The other option is for legislators to require the treatment of industrial waste by removing toxic components so that the rest of the waste can be disposed of safely. This is not an easy option as it does require that each factory implements the proper procedures to purify or cleanse their waste by-products, which can be expensive and cause a reluctance from factory owners, However it can still help reduce the soil, air, and water pollution being produced by their factories.

Industrialization may have changed the way that we look at the world, but it has also changed the impact that we have on the planet that we call home. Now that we realize the problem, it’s up to us to fix it so that we can continue to grow and change without destroying our home in the name of progress. How can you make a small change at home?

1. Recycling must come first.

2. Before taking a shower, place a bucket in the shower to collect the cold water as you wait for the water to warm up. You can use it later for watering plants or something else in your home.

3. Plant plants and herbs to avoid the need for store-bought products. Gardening is also a great way to befriend the earth!

4. Turn off/unplug things while not in use. electronic objects still consume power if they are plugged in but turned off to power lights and other features.

I’m going to be straight with you, we can’t stop industrialization because it does bring vital things to our species. However, we can do our best to be conservative at home and try to stop the effects it has taken on Earth. It only takes a small seed to grow an oak tree.