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Essay about The Industrial Revolution

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The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a great leap in manufacturing technology that had many benefits to mankind. The standard of living was raised to a higher level, products were being made could be made more efficiently and with less production costs, and many people became able to support themselves and live a life away from their parent's farm. Because of the reduction in production costs, the prices of goods could be reduced as well. This gave the poorer masses more access to manufactured items. The higher demand for goods resulted in a need for more workers. This meant that more people had more money with which to buy more things. This started the cycle that created a society largely dependent upon manufactured …show more content…

The smoke is the product of the burning of impurities, coal, coke, or other fuels. When burning these fuels in massive amounts, with neighboring factories also burning them, the impact on air quality is extreme. To many, black lung disease was a disease restricted solely to coal miners, but when coal is burned, many of the constituents of the coal become airborne to easily infect anyone's lungs. A study done in the nineteenth century indicated that cigarette smokers in a rural area close to Liverpool had a "nine times greater death rate from lung cancer than non-smokers, whereas in Liverpool, the ratio approached 1:1."1 The study also indicated a continually observed pattern of decreased health in urban areas. The factories were producing goods that the people wanted to buy, but it was also killing them. In December of 1952 in London, a lethal smog "was responsible for 4000 human deaths". 2 Plant life that surrounded the area was also affected. When smog settles, it blackens the leaves of the plants, preventing them from getting the sunlight necessary for growth. Another modern product of industry that is a large contribution to air pollution is the automobile. In earlier times, gasoline may have contained lead, and when the gasoline burns to propel the car, the lead is ejected into the air. Although the intention was aimed in the right direction, "the unintended effects are pervasive and often highly

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