The advent of the Industrial Revolution left behind the agricultural and manual mode of production, using machines to help and even replace human actions and thereby expanding production and markets. However, caused significant environmental effects from the consumption of natural resources and the generation of waste.
The transformation that man has made to nature, with the use of machines and the ever-increasing need for raw materials, has given rise to a new relationship between man and nature, in which human beings dominate and exploit natural environments, especially in consequence of consumerism. Environmental degradation was increasing and rampant during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with obvious consequences in the 21st – air pollution, water and soil contamination, forest withdrawal, etc., which made future predictions for life on the planet sombre.
The Industrial Revolution led to urbanization, which, in turn, also caused problems related to the generation of solid waste (litter), the disordered occupation of the soil with deforestation and waterproofing and the contamination of river flows with sewage and solid waste.
As we can check on the graphic, human factors, moved by the industrial revolution, had, still have and will have a decisive role in the climate changes and on the way environment is affected.
With the industry 4.0, the world looks up in a new perspective, given that the revolution will have a positive impact on the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social and environmental). This last one responsibilities will help population, resources and natural problems, such as global warming since it englobes several changes:
- Larger conservation of energy and resources
- Improvement of consumption of renewable and less polluting energy
- An easier process of recycling
- Packaging minimization
- Considerable reduction of carbon emissions
We have learned from our past, and as the world becomes more global, it is sure to see that people are more aware of the harm we can do to our main protector, nature. Isn’t it a good idea to have an Artificial Intelligence responsible for recycling, or even having itself thinking about the environment?
In conclusion, the 4th Industrial Revolution will have a large positive impact on the way we look to the environment, the way we manage it but above all, it will help us to reduce negative effects such as pollution or energy consumption on a scale that we never could.
References:
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Research Overview dup. (sem data). Obtido 20 de Maio de 2018, de http://www.martinturcotte.net/research-overview-1/
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Revolução Industrial e a questão ambiental – Cola da Web. (sem data). Obtido 20 de Maio de 2018, de https://www.coladaweb.com/biologia/ecologia/a-revolucao-industrial-e-a-poluicao
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Silva, E. M. da. (2017, Agosto 6). Indústria 4.0 e a Sustentabilidade. Obtido 20 de Maio de 2018, de https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ind%C3%BAstria-40-e-sustentabilidade-edson-miranda-da-silva
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