3) Discuss the role of economic modernity in leading to climate change
Modernity is both a modern era and a series of socio-cultural norms, behaviors and attitudes that
evolved after the wave of Renaissance in the Age of Reason, around seventeenth century along
with the eighteenth century’s Age of Enlightenment. These changes have left immense effects over
the world from its many forms. These include Political modernity, Socio-cultural modernity,
Economic and Religious modernity etc. The Economic modernity has a long history of influencing
human phycology regarding wealth as well as the Economic system which include Marxism,
Communism and Capitalism. Following the Economic modernity, climate change, a product of it,
has alarmed the world with its severe consequences. This essay will cover the effects of Economic
modernity and its activities resulting disturbed ecosystem, endangered species, imbalanced
atmospheric ratio, and natural catastrophes, in a pithy manner.
The history of economic modernity is linked with the beginning of age of reasons and its theories
and ideologies. The movement to modernity developed around the sixteenth century, and its
ground were in northern European countries such as England, the Netherlands, France,
and Prussia, the modern-day Germany. Its successors, the Protestants, since broking the influence
of Church and its authority over people, were started forming new ways to please their gods. The
Bible had started reaching in every home in their languages. Afterwards they started doing lot of
work so as to please gods and that’s where the economic modernity comes in. The industries were
started setting up in the parts of England, France, Spain etc. The development of the metals and
textiles industries enabled mass manufacture of cloth, weaponry, telecommunication, synthetic
products. Transportation, banking, and communications industries grew to support the additional
manufacturing capacity as manufacturing activity increased. The steam engine was a significant
development in this regard as it facilitate the freight to boost revenues. In-short all of these
developments proved ingredients towards economic modernity.
We are currently taking the future, selling it in the present, and referring to it as gross domestic
product. These words by Paul Hawken, an American environmentalist, adequately sum the human
behavior towards their endangered future. Ever since Mankind started developing their states and
strengthening their economies, they had done on the cost of future. Early steam engines had robust
the trade throughout the country yard through burning of wood and coals, firing steam boilers but
air was contaminated. Giant network of industries was set up which fuels country’s economy via
production of goods in abundant quantity, for which forests were decimated. In-fact no area had
left free from pollution. The threats to marine and wild life, deforestation, distortion of eco-system
balance, natural disasters, diseases all are the significantly the product of Economic modernity.
The following paragraphs will parse each of these topics in comprehensive manner.
Since the Renaissance, the economic drive has resulted in the extinction of several species, with
many more on the verge of extermination. The beginning of the Industrial Revolution has been
regarded by several experts as one of the decisive moments for increasing extinctions on land.
Species that were prized were hunted to extinction. Desire for lumber, as well as growing
farmlands and industry, resulted in forest being levelled. Other animals died as a result of pollution
and other human activities practices. The growth of cities fueled technical advancements and the
demand for greater room for people to reside in, which is a key product of industrialization.
Although urbanization may promote economic progress, it may also result in the invasion of
animal habitat. As a result, animals' natural habitats are shrinking, forcing them to compete with
humans for space and food. The industrialization on seas and oceans has also disturbed marine
life. Overfishing has resulted in a ninety percent reduction in the population of huge fishes like
tuna. Trees like Mangroves are being impacted upon by shrimp farms (Stanford University,
2015).
The Industrial Revolution produced various kinds of air, water and land pollution. The natural
balanced of gases in eco-system has been spoiled. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have
increased by more than 20 percent in less than forty years, primarily due to human activities and
accounting for well over half of the total increase in atmospheric Carbon dioxide since the
industrial revolution began ,1750. (USGCRP Indicator Details). During the Industrial
Revolution, coal, as a fuel, became frequently used around late 18th century till colonial era. The
most effect of coal usage is the release of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes climate
change, as well as other monoxides. These gases, together, trapped the heat within the earth’s
surface and gradually increase the mean temperature of Earth. People of developing metropolitan
areas suffered major health consequences as a result of these rapid pollution and soot. Along with
Air, Water pollution also increased with the activities of Industrialization and factories began
dumping contaminants into rivers and streams directly. For example, chemical waste dumped into
Ohio's Cuyahoga River exploded in flames, making the river a symbol of how industrial pollution
was depleting America's natural resources (Editors, 2020). Soil contamination is another concern
that arises as a result of Economic modernism. Lead waste from factories, other heavy metals and
harmful compounds leak into the soil and contaminate any crops that grow nearby. For
overwhelming amount of crops yield, pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides have been using,
spreading pollution when these substances fell on earth or sink in river water. The marine life when
eat those slinked particles, results in suffocation and low oxygen level.
Our impact on the natural environment has grown in parallel with our progress and development.
The number of natural disasters has nearly doubled by the end of industrial revolution. This is
significantly dure to a rise in carbon dioxide and monoxides emissions into the environment, a gift
of industrial processes, which surged the Earth mean temperature up to one degree, at the end of
first industrialization (Houston Energy Fellows, 2018). This has caused many glaciers to melt,
increasing the water level in seas and oceans. This is also causing heat waves, making almost the
urban area an oven. Russia was caught in a ferocious heat wave that claimed the lives of as many
as 50,000 people (Lisa, 2020). The heatwaves in urban population appears with more severe
effects as the buildings, roads and concrete materials absorb heat and thus making the citizens feel
much hotter. The human body is unable to cool itself in hot and humid weather because the
sweating mechanism is slowed by the slow evaporation of sweat. And human body started feeling
heat stress in such conditions and sometimes results in death.
The economic modernity also left its impacts upon the natural resources. Ever since the wheels of
industries began to run for maximize the revenue and to win in the human capital race, the number
of natural resources, which includes forests, wood, coal, oil, iron ores, etc. has started depleting.
When the steam engine was invented and came onto rails for carrying goods, since then the usage
of coal was on rise. It was also an essential demand for large-scale industrialization due to
concentrated form of energy. As the urbanization has increased since industrial revolution, with
its charms and convenience attracted the people in millions, there was a huge need arose to
manufacture enormous amount of product like clothes, home machines, bulbs, vehicles, etc. to
elevate the average standard of life. So, the industries started using fossil fuels with increasing rate
so as to meet up with the public needs. However, this resulted in release of harmful toxic gases
and materials into the atmosphere due to which above discussed problems arose. The rapid
deforestation is also a product of economic modernity and industrialization, as there was more
demand for setting up the factories to meet up public needs and manufacture more. This was
happened at the cost of cutting woods.
Industrialization had made Britain prosperous, but it had also made it sick (Dan Cruickshank,
2003). Industrialization had also brought with itself many diseases on regional and global level.
The watery disease has proven to be one of the most ferocious killers in history, and its speed is
tremendous. Cholera is an example of this. This fatal disease was transmitted by water and easily
spread through filthy cities, killing thousands of people. Typhoid also took root in some regions,
taking advantage of the weak sewage infrastructure to infect a large number of people. As the
urbanization was increasing, more and more people sought to cities to work and quite many lands
were needed to settle them. As a result of massive shift of masses, the health and sanitation
problems had arisen, paving way for diseases.
A former Chief Executive Officer of Unilever, a British goods company, Paul Polman has rightly
said that climate change is frequently mistaken as connected to changes in the weather while, in
fact, it refers to changes in our way of life. The human race to wealth and power has changed the
world ecosystem to one eighty degrees. From the living style to atmospheric temperature, all has
drastically changed with much maniacal. Once our green and pure earth has now become dark
place of pollution, with heated surface, polluted water and contaminated air. Economic activities
also played role in increasing global warming, and is one of the reasons we are experiencing heat
waves and other natural disasters. Such activities have increased our global temperature causing
various natural calamities. In a nutshell, Economic modernity has gifted us with many problems.
“The earth, air, land, and water are not our forefathers' heritage, but rather a loan from our
descendants. As a result, we must hand it over to them in the same condition as it was given to
us.’’_ (Gandhi).
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