Industrialisation and the environment Flashcards
What was the original solution to smoke pollution
Build taller chimneys
How did miasma theory affect pollution
People believed that ‘bad air’ could make you ill and thus wanted cities to be clean
How did the post-miasma theory view affect pollution
People now believed viruses and bacteria caused illness, not bad air which led to less interest in clearing smoke from a health point of view
In 1800 how much of Britain’s land was freed up by using coal rather than timber
15 million acres
What were the issues with using coal rather than timber
It caused terrible air pollution. Carbon dioxide emissions increased greatly, as did pollution of rivers and streams, and acid rain
In 1800 how much coal did Britain use and how did this compare to Europe
15 million tons
Several times more than the rest of Europe combined
Where did colonial conservation arguments come from
Largely from a capitalist view that over-exploitation threatened future resources e.g. soil erosion
How much did world population increase between 1750 and 1800, and 1900
1750, the world population was 720 million
900 million in 1800
1.625 billion in 1900
When did states begin to form proper environmental policies
1950
How much woodland in the temperate and tropics disappeared between 1700 and 1922
Temperate: 315 million hectares
Tropics: 222 million hectares
In 1800 how much of Britain was urbansied
30%
How did the transport revolution affect the environment
Further pollution from steam engines
Ability to transport resources further
Accelerated transfer of goods, vegetation and disease around the world
In 1870 how many steam engines did Britain have
170,000
At what rate did air pollution kill Victorian Britons compared to 1990
4-7x
Why did industrialisation feed colonialism (and vice versa)
Industrialisation required vast amounts of raw materials (cotton, rubber, etc.) which made colonialism essential, and greatly profitable
Industrialisation also heightened the perceived gap between natives and colonisers (lazy native stereotype)
Surge in imperial expansion, carried by steamships, railways, and motor vehicles (also promoted by greatened resource needs- expansion of commodity frontiers)
