The Industrial Revolution: Environmental Costs

Social and Environmental Costs of Industrialization Name Institution Course Date Social and Environmental Costs of Industrialization The Industrial Revolution that took place in the late 18th Century to the early 20th Century caused social and environmental consequences in the society. Social changes such as new class structures, population growth and rural to urban migration occurred. Increase in population led to exhaustion of natural resources and environmental degradation. Society was formerly divided into the nobles, the clergy and the commoners. Industrial revolution however led to the growth of new social classes that included the working class, middle class and the upper class. According to Dickens (1854, p.75), the working class were referred to as ‘the Hands’. They were the laboring class who experienced hard times than the rest of the classes. It is important to note that industrial revolution led to the growth of the economy as a result of new improved technologies and large scale factories. The working class provided labour in the factories to survive. ‘The Hands’ barely met their basic needs because their wages remained low even with the improved economy. “Time went on in Coketown like its own machinery…so much money made.” (Dickens, 1854, p.106). The revolution separated the working class and the upper class because they lived in different parts of the towns. Engels (2011), notes that the working class dwellings were horrible, disorderly and away from the middle and upper class neighbourhoods that were orderly and clean. “while pumps and water pipes can be found in decent parts of the city alone” (Engels, 2011, p.343). He also notes that they could not afford better living conditions because they lacked the opportunity to meet the natural ordinary wants. The poor conditions such as overcrowding also caused diseases such as cholera and typhus because the dwellers used to throw refuse out in the surroundings for the pigs to consume. Coketown as well, was a dirty town that was characterized by coal-dust paths and several types of ugliness (Dickens, 1854, p.195). During the industrial revolution, the landlords of the poor dwellings did not care about human suffering because they did not repair their tenants’ households. “The landlords are not ashamed to let dwellings…. deprived of all fittings….” (Engels, 2011, p.343). On the other hand, Coketowners were always met with menace and threats whenever Mr. Bounderby was held accountable. “Whenever a Coketowner felt he was ill-used…. hold him accountable…. he was sure to come out with awful menace, “(Dickens, 1854, p.132). The industrial revolution also led to poor environmental conditions. Natural resources were used up because of increased po...