From Guest Blogger James Timpson: Industrialisation Unfolded–The Impacts on the Environment

Industrialisation has brought us many benefits in terms of a better standard of living and a higher quality of life. However, it has also had a serious impact on the environment and on our health and long-term wellbeing.

Two key areas which have affected the environment considerably are transportation and construction. Here we will examine what this means for us now and how it could play out unless we change how we live.
Transportation

Truck Locator offers an insight into the global impact of transportation, with figures which are updated in real time. This allows you to realise the scale of the problem as you can see the figures rising quickly as you watch the screen.

First, there is the damage to the environment. The USA alone produced 5,600 million metric tonnes of CO2 in 2014 and 31% of that came from transportation. Aeroplanes, shipping and vehicles all play a part in this as people have become increasingly used to travelling further for business and pleasure, and having anything they want delivered direct to their door from all around the world.

Few scientists would now question that these Co2 emissions are leading to global warming and we are increasingly witnessing more weather extremes and the melting of the polar caps.

There is also the cost to life that is brought about by global transportation. Emissions lead to poor air quality and this leads to large scale global deaths. In early 2014 WHO reported that during 2012, 7 million people had died as a result of poor air quality and exposure to pollution. This was an eighth of all global deaths and a much higher figure than anticipated, making it the biggest environmental health risk.

Construction

The construction industry is also a huge contributor to CO2 emissions due to the burning of coal. In addition, as this guide to the impact of construction from Plant Locator shows, the industry is also responsible for clearing vast tracts of land. Deforestation perpetuates the cycle of global warming, as the fewer trees there are, the less carbon dioxide they can absorb.

The construction industry sends 109 million tonnes of waste to landfills in the UK every year, which accounts for nearly a quarter of the total waste. Even just at the ordering stage, 400 million tonnes of materials are delivered to construction sites annually. Of this, 60 million tonnes is immediately earmarked as waste due to damage or poor ordering.

While these figures are frightening, both industries are making progress towards negating the damage which has been done. The transportation industry is researching cleaner fuels and continually making vehicles more fuel efficient. The aviation industry is moving from aluminium to carbon fibre bodies to make planes lighter; and therefore reduce the amount of fuel the planes use on each journey.

The construction industry is looking at renewable energy sources while aiming to reduce waste and dispose of it more responsibly. There has also been a move towards planting a new tree for every one they cut down.

These measures will take time to become effective, especially as many of them involve considerable research and testing phases. It is also the responsibility of governments, companies and consumers around the world to demand more eco-friendly options. As more and more people step up and request electric cars to drive and green buildings to work and live in, the industries themselves will take notice. From an environmental perspective we have to hope that these actions will be in time to reverse the global climate change which is already being recorded.