The Cost of Consumption

Since America’s conception, and especially during its industrialization period, there has been a concept of an “American Dream” of opportunity and economic gain through hard work. Throughout America’s history, this push to achieve wealth and economic success has led to important developments in industry but has also proved to be harmful to the natural environment. Americans’ desire for material wealth and prosperity has led to extensive industrial development that has had obvious negative effects on the environment through pollution, waste, and overall carelessness throughout the history of the US.

Mining for MoreUseful metal ores like iron, copper, gold, silver and coal (although coal is not a metal, it is a very large part of the mining industry) can be found across the US that only need the labor and initiative to extract them from the Earth. Because of this, Americans expanded their nation across the continent in search of those mine-able minerals to further their industrial growth. “Mining can cause physical disturbances to the landscape… such disturbances may contribute to the decline of wildlife and plant species in an area. In addition, it is possible that many of the pre-mining surface features cannot be replaced after mining ceases” . Mining for precious metals has proved to damage all aspects of an ecosystem ever since it became an industrial process. Despite this, Americans continued to push the limits of their machines against the environment in order to get more resources to fuel their profits. The most harmful process of mining is coal mining. “Strip mining (also known as open cast, mountaintop or surface mining) involves scraping away earth and rocks to get to coal buried near the surface. In many cases, mountains are literally blasted apart to reach thin coal seams within, leaving permanent scars on the landscape as a result.” This form of mining can destroy entire mountain ranges! Knowing this, miners and their bosses still went forward to quickly extract the coal so that it may be used to power factories, turning the mined coal into air pollution (Carbon emissions). Competition for claims in areas that supposedly held valuable minerals led many American miners to tear apart the natural area in order to search for spots to mine.

"Black Gold" Another source of energy and money is oil. Scientists have developed a variety of ways to develop crude oil into many different things that fuel industrialized countries’ economies. To find more oil, people were willing to drill anywhere, dotting the land with attempts to strike it rich. Although those holes could easily be filled, it is when they actually drill up oil that it becomes especially harmful to the environment. “the extraction and processing of crude oil, however, destroys the areas arboreal forests and diverts an incredible volume of water from local rivers. The heavy crude oil from tar sands also emits 20 percent more carbon dioxide than emissions from light crude oil”. The oil industry takes away a lot more from the earth than just oil, it has also taken away clean water and clean land, spreading pollution across the landscape. It is most toxic when a drill suddenly has an accident: an oil spill. “The Deepwater Horizon was an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico… the rig exploded... causing a massive oil spill that took months to control. The impact on the environment was felt in the U.S. from Texas to Florida”. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill made the surrounding water toxic, polluting any plant and fish life within its proximity, effects which can be seen to this day. This isn't the only oil spill to happen, but companies must continue to drill for oil to meet the demand of America’s industrialized society.

Industrial Incentive Industry in the US really began to develop around the 1860s with hundreds of factories popping up all over the US (mostly in the Northeast and old Midwest though) that boosted the formerly agrarian economy of the US (although agriculture still remains an important part of America’s economy). These factories produced many new and useful products, but they also produced large amounts of waste that pollutes the air, water, and the ground. “The effects of industrial pollution are far reaching and liable to affect the ecosystem for many years to come. Most industries require large amounts of water for their work. When involved in a series of processes, the water comes into contact with heavy metals, harmful chemicals, radioactive waste and even organic sludge...water pollution and soil pollution are often caused directly due to inefficiency in disposal of waste. Long term exposure causes chronic health problems, making the issue of industrial pollution into a severe one”.At first, nobody cared about what the effects were, only about maximizing profits, so industry expanded even more, leading to more pollution. This initial carelessness allowed factories to emit huge quantities of air and water pollutants, the effects of which can be seen today. Air pollution is another big problem with factories: “Factories, which process natural gas, waste-water or petroleum, contribute to methane [and other harmful] gas emissions”. Those air pollutants clog the atmosphere with unnatural amounts of carbon gases, resulting in “dirty” air that can harmful to those with respiratory problems (as well as cause more people in the future to have respiratory problems). However, factories have become an intricate part of the American economy as more companies strive to produce more goods that can be sold for quick profits, no matter what its effects may have on America’s natural environment

During the dawn of the industrial era in the United States, Americans expanded their economic opportunities across the continent as well as their competitive spirit. Through this expansion, Americans also have damaged the environment in search of a way to earn money through mining, drilling, and industrial factories, which allowed America to grow into the industrial giant that it is today. However, those processes came to scar some of America’s natural beauty by polluting waterways, ripping apart mountains and ecosystems, and clogging the very air we breathe with harmful gases that come from the fires of industry and progress. Although this damage was not originally taken into account, steps have been taken to ensure that these necessary process are done as cleanly and efficiently as possible to help prevent further damage to America’s natural environment.