ABSTRACT
In 1769, James Watt invented a practical steam engine that triggered the start of the Industrial Revolution in the UK. It took until 1829 for the first passenger train to arrive in a form that had commercial potential and the power to create major new industries centred around coal, steel, and steam power. The initial impact on climate was unmeasurable apart from sampling close to the path of the train as it passed.
Most citizens of the UK benefitted, leading to the formation of new industries. It took about 80 years for other countries to see the benefits and to follow suit, often on a much bigger scale. Some took longer still.
The wealth created led to more spending power, much of which was spent on things that increased climate damage even faster in countries with larger populations. CO2 takes thousands of years to dissipate, leading to an overload in the Earth’s process for greenhouse gas removal.
The Industrial Revolution provides many lessons of real importance as we try to maximize the gain from the technological revolution.
Action on a global, mass-market scale is vital. Without this scale of implementation, the changes are not affordable and the benefits in terms of avoiding a climate disaster are totally ineffective.
