R

4.1: introduction to industry

defining industry

  • industry: the manufacturing of goods in a factory; persistence in creating value
  • industry is heavily intertwined with the advancement of technology and energy

the industrial revolution

  • a “series of improvements in industrial technology that transformed the process of manufacturing goods”
  • before the industrial revolution, industry varied by area
    • homemade agricultural tools etc. were made through the cottage industry system (individuals producing goods and performing services at home for their own subsistence)
  • invention was the key to the industrial revolution and its success
    • most important — steam engine (steam power)
    • created need for singular power source, led to increased productivity and improved standards of living
    • main cause of population growth in the second stage of the Demographic Transition Model
  • the “industrial revolution” is a misleading name
    • it was a revolution socially, economically, and politically as well
    • gradual innovation over decades rather than a single major advance
  • the first industries impacted by the industrial revolution were those surrounding the extraction and development of iron/iron tools
    • production shifted to utilizing steam engine power
  • transportation canals and railways for factories → improved infrastructure
    • brought in more workers and raw materials at faster rates
    • could export finished goods to consumers more efficiently
    • greatly improved economy
  • the textile industry was also significantly impacted by the industrial revolution as it made the shift from the cottage industry (textile production in the home) to a factory system (mass producing clothing)
    • chemicals were also introduced as a major means of bleaching/dyeing cloth
  • the food industry also saw changes, mainly through the introduction of canned food production

fossil fuels

  • low cost energy, widely accessible for manufacturing
    • developed as extremely useful for factories, food production, home comfort, and transportation/infrastructure
    • developing use for improving living conditions
  • animate power was replaced by biomass fuel which was replaced by fossil fuel
    • 5/6ths of the world energy (as of 2020) is/was supplied by coal, petroleum (oil), and natural gas
  • fossil fuels are nonrenewable, so we need to transition to sustainable sourcing to continue operations currently powered by fossil fuels