The Poisonous Legacy We Leave Behind
“Once upon a time, Theodore Swann came home to Anniston, Alabama, after the 1920 running of the Kentucky Derby. The thirty-three-year-old industrialist was in for a surprise as they had already drawn up an insane challenge for his young chemists. But however, he gave them sixty days to manufacture two tank cars full of substances they would dub the “ magic fluid” — a chemical compound that Swann believed would change not only America but the whole world.” -Ted Dracos-. This is where the poisonous legacy began.
THE EFFECTS OF POISONOUS LEGACY:
Many studies show that coastal erosion around landfill sites is causing them to edge closer to the shoreline and has created the risk of the spillage of their contents into the sea. The environment we live in is surely in danger, as coastal areas have historically been an easy target for the dumping of toxic rubbish. Due to this, the toxic rubbish is now on the verge of spreading through the world’s oceans.
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
The Industrial Revolution originally began around the 19th century, and its actual impact started surfacing in the middle of the 20th century. Throughout this, coal played a large role during the events of the revolution. This resulted in the spewing out of smog and soot from industrial mechanisms, which caused serious health effects to the nearby urban residents, as well as to the environment. Air, land, and water were polluted by industrial factories and their waste.
This revolution can include many features such as technological, socioeconomic and cultural. As technology is one of the main features, as we all know, it made some changes to the use of new basic materials ( iron and steel). The second is the use of new energy sources, including both fuels and motive power like coal, steam engine, electricity, petroleum and internal-combustion engine. The third is the invention of the new machines ( spinning jenny, power loom) that led to an increase in products, and this has entailed an increased division of labour and specialization of function.
Furthermore, there were also many new developments in the nonindustrial sphere. This includes following agricultural improvements, which made the possibility of provision for food for a larger nonagricultural population. The economic changes have resulted in wider distribution of wealth, this decline of the land as a source of wealth in the face of the increasing industrial population and this increased international trade.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
As you all now have read what an industrial revolution is, I shall now move to the advantages of an industrial revolution. The advantages include: an increase in employment opportunities, wages at factories were higher than what individuals were making as farmers, most factories and large companies were allocated near the cities, and the populations migrated to areas as they came out searching for jobs. This led to significant improvements in city planning, and increased innovation also led to higher levels of motivation and education.
As a result of the above advantages, there were several groundbreaking inventions still used today. However, these creations are sewing machines, X-rays, lightbulbs, calculators and anaesthesia.
The industrial revolution brought a huge impact. The nation had the first combustible engine, incandescent light bulb, and modern assembly line used in manufacturing. It has changed how people work. The technologies are available and of course their living style.
CONCLUSION:
Overall the poisonous legacy we leave behind is quite harmful to the environment, so we should listen to the earth as it is telling us not to harm it. Since now the environment is polluted, it's sick, and it needs to be recovered. The pollution we are experiencing today is the legacy that's left behind by those before us. So it’s up to us to figure it out. What is the legacy that we want to leave behind? Is it one of pollution and destruction or of health and prosperity? You decide.
REFERENCES :
https://www.britannica.com/event/Industrial-Revolution
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/industrial-revolution.asp#:~:text=The%20Industrial%20Revolution%20
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Adha Mohamed Yoosuf is 15 years old, and she studies at Ahmadhiyya international school. She is in grade 9. She loves to improve herself and is very grateful to belong to theCircle by Ugail Foundation as its great community.
Cite this article as:
Adha Mohamed Yoosuf, The Poisonous Legacy We Leave Behind, theCircle Composition, Volume 4, (2023).