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Docu men 8 FROM REVOLUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE t We cannot understand recent climate history without drawing a parallel between two major revolutions: the Industrial Revolution and the energy revolution. While the progress humanity has made in just over 150 years is considerable, so are the challenges it must now overcome. Climate change is one such challenge we must face, and scientists have been observing it since the dawn of these revolutions. But what happened during that time that has modern-day experts so frantically sounding the alarm? Unprecedented Population Growth An Energy Revolution The Industrial Revolution coincided with a tremendous increase in the world’s population. In just over 150 years, it has grown from 1 billion inhabitants to more than 6 billion. This increase is in large part thanks to progress made in the food sector, as well as improvements in the state of health and living conditions in several parts of the world. However, this population explosion is also at the root of a series of upheavals that, in the end, have left humanity facing complex problems such as climate change. During the entire pre-industrial period, the development of societies depended exclusively on the use of renewable energy sources. Civilization relied on the physical strength of both humans and animals, along with the energy generated by wind, water and wood burning. The wood shortage in Europe at the start of the 20th century led industrialists to turn, for the first time in history, to a non-renewable energy source: coal. Widely available, easy to extract and offering better energy output, coal allowed the industrial machine to operate at full force. Immense chimneys spewing the main by-product of burning coal, carbon dioxide, sprung up all over the industrialized West. The first signs of largescale atmospheric disturbances appeared with smog (a contraction of the words smoke and fog). Coal was replaced at the start of the 20th century by petroleum and, later, by natural gas. The combustion of these fuels, while less problematic than coal, has since been releasing astronomical quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. Today, most of the energy required for the progress of societies comes from the use of fossil fuels that characterized the energy revolution. Firstly, with more mouths to feed came major changes in agricultural practices, such as land clearing, monoculture and the mechanization of work. Next, all of these new arrivals needed a roof over their heads. Entire forests disappeared to make room for increasing human settlements (urbanization) and for their expansion (urban sprawl). In the space of 200 years, the proportion of people living in cities rose from 2.5% to more than 50% today. To meet the basic needs of these populations and fulfill their growing desires, the powerful industrial machine got to work, pumping out coveted consumer goods in increasingly large quantities. Since their own survival depended on the wages of these new consumers, industrial capitalists put the population to work. Mechanization, the internal combustion engine, the assembly line, the specialization of manufacturing practices and the regulation of natural resource prices increased production while lowering costs. When raw materials ran out locally, industrialists turned to the Third World. The low cost of labour and resources helped generate even greater profits. At the same time, a tentacle-like network of local and international transportation routes facilitated the movement of people and goods. The last step was to “connect” the world through communication networks to promote international trade. Westerners today enjoy an unrivalled quality of life. However, without the energy revolution that accompanied the Industrial Revolution, none of this would have been possible. Global Consequences Since the mid-19th century, the overall temperature of the Earth has increased by nearly 0.6oC, which is more than during any other period in history. The main culprits: the massive use of fossil fuels, not to mention deforestation, agricultural practices and the unbridled consumption of goods and services. All these activities contribute to the increase in GHG emissions, which is at the heart of climate change. Since the Industrial Revolution, the amount of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere has risen by 35%. The amount of methane has jumped by 145%. Joined by the developing nations of China, India and Brazil, the northern countries now consume more than 80% of the Earth’s energy resources. Yet the consequences of climate change impact all of the planet’s inhabitants. When will we witness the next revolution? And will it. Based on educational material from the Des idées dans l’airž! (DIDA) kit available from the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) http://eav.csq.qc.net/dida/