Industry During The Industrial Revolution

Modern Industry is the manufacturing of goods in a factory. Industry took off during the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution was a period of improvement in industrial technology. Industry is mainly concentrated in three regions, North America, Europe, and East Asia. Each of these regions account for around 25% of industrial output in the world. Industry consist of many factories distributed around the world. Geographers work to explain the reasons for the different locations of these factories.
Costs resulting from situation and site factors have the biggest impact on location in industry. There are two types of situation factors. They are proximity to input and proximity to market. One of the reasons factories are located near
either the input or market is whether it is a bulk-gaining industry or bulk-reducing industry. Bulk-gaining industries are located near the market because the product increases in weight during manufacturing. Bulk-reducing industries are located near the input because the product loses weight during manufacturing. In both situations money saved on transportation because of the location of the factories. Other reasons for an industry to be located near the market is because is if it is perishable or a single-market manufacturer. Perishable products need to be near the market because the product becomes useless if not used in a certain period of time. Single-market manufacturers make a specific product for one store or company. This means that they do not need to be located anywhere else. Sometimes markets or inputs will change their location for reasons such as these. The steel industry had to change location due to changing inputs. After iron and coal ran out in certain areas the industry needed to move to areas that had coal and iron. Motor vehicle industries are often located near the market because it is a bulk-gaining industry. Site factors include labor, land, and capital. Labor is the most important factor around the world for industry location. Many industries are located in less developed countries to minimize labor costs, which vary greatly around the world. The next site factor is capital. This relates to the ability to borrow money. This is important because most new factories are built with borrowed funds. The last main site factor is land. This is important because a large one-story building is needed to run an efficient factory. The textile and apparel industry is a great example of how labor effects the location of an industry. Because the textile and apparel industry requires little skill, it is able to move factories to less developed countries where labor is much cheaper.
Industry has had great contributions to the economic success of many countries, but it comes with its downfalls.
One of these downfalls is pollution. Air pollution is the concentration of trace substances at a greater level than occurs in average air. This can have negative effects on the atmosphere and environment. Air pollution can keep heat from leaving the atmosphere, leading to global warming. Pollution from industry results from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal. Global warming poses three main problems. These are melting polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and shifting global precipitation patterns. These three things pose major threats to the environment and if not controlled could cause threats to humans as a whole. Air pollution also has the potential to damage vegetation and water supply, through acid deposition, in a certain area. Acid deposition is tiny droplets of sulfuric acid and nitric acid as a result of the burning of fossil fuels. Air pollution mostly affects urban areas. Another type of pollution that results from industry is waste pollution. Four pounds of solid waste, mostly paper products, per person is produced in the US each day. Landfills are the most common way that waste is disposed of in the US. Water pollution is another problem. There are two types of water pollution, point-source and nonpoint-source pollution. Point-source pollution enters the body of water at a specific location that can be traced. This makes it easier to control than
nonpoint-source pollution. Nonpoint-source pollution comes from a large area, making the pollution harder to trace and control. Nonpoint-source pollution is typically a result from pesticides used for agriculture.
Changes in industry have occured in the recent past and continue to occur today.
Industry is constantly changing in many ways, whether it be location, technology, or labor. Overall, industrialization has experienced a great shift in the US. During the late 19th century and early 20th century industrialization mostly occurred in the northeast of the US. Since then industry has shifted towards the south and west. Labor practices are also constantly changing and adapting. Transnational corporations have embraced the idea of using developing countries for low cost labor. This has resulted in factories that require high-skill labor moving to developed countries and factories that do not require high-skill labor moving to developing countries. One example of this is how the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, has allowed for industries to move to Mexico for low cost labor, but still have close proximity to the US. While many industries are moving to areas with low cost labor, there is still appeal for certain industries to stay in the US. The appeal comes from skilled labor and proximity to market. Certain industries require skilled workers that are most commonly found in developed countries. The proximity to the market is important because of the push for just-in-time
delivery.
Industry has had a huge influence on modern humans. What started in the industrial revolution has made impacts on every part of the globe. It has increased production of goods, created jobs for people around the world, and created a new era goods and services. However, industry has come with its flaws, the main one being pollution. Pollution affects air, land, and water and is a result of burning fossil fuels. One of the biggest products of pollution is global warming, which is a highly debated topic today.