The steam engine is one of history’s most remarkable innovations that revolutionised civilisation and was the foundation for industrialisation, technological advancement, and economic development. According to Spielvogel & Spielvogel (2014), the steam engine was created in 1698 and significantly contributed to the industrial revolution by accelerating industrial output. Also, convenient transportation through water and railway is linked to the steam engine’s creation. Undoubtedly, the steam engine invention benefited human survival; however, it is crucial to remember that it also caused severe social problems that persist today. As a result, the study will examine the positives and damages brought about by the development of the steam engine.
Benefits of Steam Engine
The steam engine is an innovation that revolutionised transportation, vital to society and economic prosperity. Historically, individuals would walk or ride horses, which were slower and could not carry bulky goods long distances. The introduction of the steam engine, however, changed this since steam trains were built to move people and large items across vast distances (Bruland & Smith, 2013). The steam engine trains also assist in minimising the amount of time spent on a single activity. The steam engine trains were fast and thus time-saving, allowing people, businesses, and state affairs to run faster than human and animal transport, which was slow and exposed to many hazards such as poor health and could not travel in the dark, delaying transport which hurt social and economic growth of a state. As a result, the steam engine minimised time waste by speeding up the transportation of products, information, and people.
The creation of the steam engine also resulted in urbanisation and improved communication. The construction of steam engine trains facilitated the transportation of people from rural to towns and from one city to another. Businesses and industries sprung out all over the country, especially in areas connected to rail transportation and seaports that used the steam engine (Hussain & Imitiyaz, 2018). People were drawn to cities with strong railway networks and water transportation for jobs, business, and better living circumstances, which resulted in urbanisation. The steam engine also improved communication by allowing persons assigned to represent the government and business to travel quickly, enabling timely information delivery. In addition, mail was sent faster from city to city using trains, minimising time wasted in information delivery.
Harm Caused by Steam Engine
Climate Change
Although the steam engine provided substantial advantages to society by expanding society and state economic well-being, it is also crucial to remember that the creation of the steam engine had negative consequences for the environment, contributing to climate change. One of the most severe effects of the steam engine was climate change. The steam engine burned coal, which was hazardous to the environment. As more industries embraced the steam engine, air, land, and water pollution increased, contributing to unprecedented climate change. During the industrial revolution, there were no environmental controls in place, and it was customary for factories to emit harmful gases into the atmosphere freely. As a result, most cities experienced haze, and the ozone layer was damaged by industries and steam-powered trains, which discharged more pollutants into the sky. According to Power et al. (2018), London’s current environmental degradation and air pollution extend back to the 1800s.
The steam engine was also a significant contributor to deforestation, contributing to climate change. As more steam engine factories and transport were built, natural resources such as trees were increasingly cut down to pave the ground for industries, urbanisation, and railroads, a problem that persists up-to-date. While urbanisation, industrialisation and improved rail and water transport caused by the steam engine invention may be argued as positive changes, it is essential to note that significant steam engine caused deforestation, which led to social erosion, scarcity of rain and destruction of natural resources like rivers, all of which have led to climate change damages that have continued to affect modern society to this day.
Risks to Human Health
The steam engine accelerated industrialisation and increased labour demand. The industries were encouraged to recruit men, women, and children to boost productivity. Although this can be viewed as a positive side, it is crucial to note the health risks employees were exposed to in industries which required people to operate without any safety equipment, insurance, or safety regulations (Hult, 2010). The steam engine was big and produced a lot of heat, which was risky to human operators. Most locomotives and industries lacked safety guidelines when operating the steam engine, and as a result, it frequently busted, released hazardous fumes, and burnt most of the workers in the engine area. Since there were no protective policies for the workers, many people were disabled, left with traumatising scares and, worse, death was reported.
The steam engine is also responsible for increased air pollution affecting human health negatively. The engine emitted various gases into the environment, resulting in reports of respiratory difficulties among factory workers and children living nearby. Despite the establishment of environmental pollution legislation, the worries persist today as industries continue to release harmful chemicals into the environment (Hutauruk et al., 2021). Another concern caused by the rapid adoption of the steam engine was poor sanitation, which spread ailments such as cholera. As more people moved to urban areas to work in industry, the cities were excessively congested, had inadequate sewage systems and poor drainage, and water became increasingly scarce. The industry discharged polluted water and waste into rivers, and humans drank the same water. The faulty drainage system and sewage system would frequently mingle with river water, eventually increasing cholera and other gastrointestinal problems, putting human health in danger.
Conclusion
The steam engine’s impact on society were revolutionary. Steam engine invention changed human survival in terms of time management, urbanisation, and improved communication. It led to open out-of-country interiors as more railroads were built connecting cities. However, one cannot ignore the detrimental damages caused by steam engine invention to humans, environment and animals. one of the damages caused by steam engine invention was climate change due to increased emission of gases from steam engine to air. Human health was also progressively jeopardised as companies exposed people to toxic and dangerous working situations. Cases of cholera and respiratory problems are believed to have emerged with the fast adoption of the steam engine, particularly in densely populated metropolitan areas, putting human health in danger. The steam engine also resulted in human exploitation, ranging from child labour to workplace discrimination and low salaries. Given all of the considerations cited, it is reasonable to conclude that the steam engine did more harm than benefit to society.
References
Akpan, U. F., & Akpan, G. E. (2012). The contribution of energy consumption to climate change: a feasible policy direction. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 2(1), 21-33. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijeeep/issue/31899/350661?publisher=http-www-cag-edu-tr-ilhan-ozturk
Hult, J. (2010). The Dangerous Steam Engine. Risks in Technological Systems, 35–45. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-84882-641-0#page=49
Hutauruk, B. C., Martono, D. N., & Sodri, A. (2021). Risk and Impact Control of PM2. 5 and SO2 Exposure of Power Plant to Communities (A Case Study in the Steam Power Plant Babelan Bekasi). Jurnal Kesehatan Lingkungan, 13(2), 121-131. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/15fb/f30055fc20a578ccb6c39c6bc28df7dbeb9e.pdf
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Spielvogel, J. J., & Spielvogel, J. J. (2014). The Industrial Revolution and Its Impact on European Society. Western Civilisation; Since1300. https://webpages.cs.luc.edu/~dennis/106/106-Bkgr/20-Industrial-Rev.pdf
Bruland, K., & Smith, K. (2013). Assessing the role of steam power in the first industrial revolution: The early work of Nick von Tunzelmann. Research Policy, 42(10), 1716-1723.
Hussain, M., & Imitiyaz, I. (2018). Urbanisation concepts, dimensions and factors. International Journal of Recent Scientific Research, 9(1), 23513-23523.
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