Notes on Industrial Capitalism and Cheap Natures

Focus on social, economic, and environmental dimensions of industrial capitalism.
Importance of ecological elements in understanding historical change.
Capitalism defined as wealth accumulation through industrialized techniques.
Key industrial techniques include machines, new energy sources, raw materials, and food production.

Historical Context: The commercial slave trade exemplifies colonial exploitation of cheap labor, persisting into the industrial era (slavery outlawed in the U.S. in 1864).
Indentured Servitude: Another form of unfree labor used in North America, involving contractual agreements binding workers to labor for 3-5 years. Unpaid labor also covered costs of living and transport.
Peasant Servitude: Exists in feudal systems like Russian serfdom, which endured until 1861. Peasants were labor-bound to land, impacting economic structures.
Waged Labor: While offering more freedom than indentured servitude, it was still characterized by cheapness, with legal protections favoring owners.
Surplus Labour: Concept critical to capitalism; it describes the excess value generated by workers, which capitalists extract as profit.
Social Reproduction: Refers to unpaid labor in households necessary for sustaining workers and their families, highlighting gendered labor dynamics.
Metabolic Relationships: Industrial capitalism alters humans' interaction with nature, transforming work and resource extraction patterns.

Energy's Role in Industrialization: The industrial revolution transformed energy requirements, relying heavily on cheap energy inputs, especially coal.
Steam Power's Impact: Coal combustion powered engines like those developed by James Watt, making industrial power more flexible and widespread compared to previous water-based systems.
Transport and Industrial Expansion: Steam power extended global trade routes, and energy resources facilitated the growth of industries.
Environmental Considerations: The reliance on coal has led to a metabolic rift in natural cycles, increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Finite Resources: Energy is exhaustible; the pursuit of cheap energy sources continues today.

The need for cheap raw materials and resources spurred practices like land enclosures in Britain, forcing peasant farmers into urban labor.
Historical Examples: The textile industry exemplifies the significance of cheap resources, such as cotton and wool, in driving industrial growth.
Impacts of Resource Extraction: Practices like rubber tapping with gutta sap exemplify ecological devastation for industrial resources.

Industrial Food Needs: The need to feed an expanding workforce led to the quest for cheap food, aligning with economic interests.
Political and Social Dynamics: The debate around the repeal of the Corn Laws exemplifies the clash between landed interests and industrialists for cheaper food.
Food Industrialization: Food became a commodity, with canning and other techniques transforming how food was produced and consumed.
Canned Foods: Rise in mass production of canned goods changed dietary habits and expanded access to food.
Natural Resource Strain: Growing food demands intensified pressure on resources, challenging sustainability.

Contemporary environmental issues stem from historical exploitation of cheap natures.
The relationship between capitalism and ecosystems highlights a fundamental interdependence in human societal organization and environmental sustainability.