The role of the Industrial Revolution in the Climate Discourse

What happened during the industrial revolution

You may have heard about the industrial revolution. It indicates a time when there was an increase in mechanization and ease of doing work, so that many manual processes were now aided by machines which do the work more efficiently and faster.

According to wikipedia, The industrial revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United States, in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes.

The carbon dioxide which was produced during this time was absorbed by surrounding forests and trees. Jungle, plants-trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the air.

With the beginning of the industrial era however, fuel began to be used on a large-scale to power the machinery and high consumption equipment, leading to production of carbon dioxide in large quantities. At the same time, forests, which used to absorb carbon, were harvested in a big way for farming to feed the growing population. Because of the population growth, increased needs for welfare, housing became paramount.

Humans therefore destroyed the forests and trees by harvesting them get wood, minerals, land, and build buildings. The resultant effect is that today there is an insufficient amount of trees and forests globally to absorb the amount of carbon dioxide produced in the environment.

There’s a role you can play..

Take action to combat climate change. A good start is heading over here https://retti.com.ng/calculate-your-carbon-footprint/to calculate your footprint and then take actions that will be discussed in our next article to reduce your foot print. That’s how you really play a role to combat climate change.