Industrial Sectors and Their Environmental Impact in Spain
Industrial activities are grouped in sectors identified by the final destination of goods produced or according to the nature or origin of raw materials used. According to the first criterion, we distinguish between basic industries, capital equipment and fixed assets, and consumption. Based industries occupy the first link in the industrial chain; they transform raw materials into semi-finished products that, in turn, are used as feedstock for other industries. A good example would be the steel and petrochemical industries. The capital goods industries produce machinery or tools that are used by other industries in their manufacturing processes. Goods and consumer use industries transform materials with different degrees of development or different products into goods that are used or consumed directly by people. Also, industry can be established considering the general characteristics, and in this way, we distinguish between the traditional industrial sectors, the dynamic sectors, and tech sectors.
Traditional Sectors of Spanish Industry
Among the traditional sectors of Spanish industry are those who had importance in the whole process of modern industrialization and are related to metals.
Basic metal, both as the basis of industrial activity as its economic, employment generation, and access to other economic sectors such as mining, is one of the main sectors of Spanish industry. Foremost is the metallurgical industry iron, i.e., iron and steel, in two categories: the integrated steel industry, which gets steel from iron ore in the blast furnace, and non-integral, which gets it in electric furnaces from the recasting of scrap steel. The steel industry has consolidated in the Basque Country, then spread to the Mediterranean (Altos Hornos del Mediterráneo) and Asturias (Ensidesa). It had a big boost in the actions carried out by the Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI), which built large mills operated by public companies. Its oversized in relation to the needs of Spain was a cause of its crisis, which is why it took a strong restructuring which had important social implications. The non-integral steel industry, however, responds to a smaller corporate structure and its scope extends to Navarra, Asturias, and Catalonia.
Closely related to the steel industry is metal processing, manufacturing a range of products ranging from hardware to the machine. It is associated with small and medium enterprises and has a greater spatial dispersion, although mainly located in the three classic homes of Spanish industry: the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Madrid. Much more recently in the timeline is the manufacture of industrial goods, which, by the nature of the components used, have a clear affiliation with the metal industries. It has achieved an extraordinary significance for being a supplier of fixed assets to modern homes. Its expansion was paralleled by the changes experienced by society in the 1960s, the adoption of new energy sources for domestic use (butane, propane, natural gas), and the spread of the refrigeration industry. In principle, it was a highly fragmented industry in mid-sized companies, but then it would be restructured through the process of industrial concentration.
Shipbuilding is one of the most important sectors of our traditional industries. It builds on the riverside and old woodwork, but the ships are built in known installations called shipyards. The material used in construction is steel, which has allowed the increase in tonnage. The INI initiative of major shipyards were built in significant coastal enclaves (Ferrol, Spain). Its corporate structure was that of large public companies (Astana, Empresa Nacional Bazan) specializing in the construction of oil tankers and grain, and with which Spain occupied a privileged place in the list of builder countries. In addition to the large shipyards, smaller companies are engaged in the construction of fishing vessels or pleasure crafts. The oil crisis affected the shipbuilding industry on one hand; structural weaknesses were evident in our yards. On the other hand, rising transport forced oil in medium-tonnage ships. Since 1990, shipbuilding declined and the industry concluded a tough industrial restructuring, which led to unemployment and social effects of which seek to reduce incentives and concession areas of urgent re-industrialization (Bay of Cádiz).
The sectors of textile, leather, and footwear are also very important in the Spanish industry. The Catalan textile industry was one of the pillars of industrialization, but with the passage of time, it experienced profound changes, some related to the replacement of organic fibers (wool, linen, cotton) with chemical fibers, and related restructuring of enterprises, which have increased in size from many small factories to focus on production units. The garment industry is a branch derived from the textile industry that has emerged as the population demanded clothing instead of tissues. It consists of a swarm of small industries, like the shoe industry, is very sparse, but extends, especially in the Mediterranean regions.
Dynamic Industries in Spain
Other industries, such as automotive, chemical, and food, have a more dynamic nature, which comes from their status as suppliers of goods and products that are absolutely essential in the functioning of industrial society itself. Generally, they are activities with a high technological component, major investments and tax multinational capital, and large manufacturing facilities.
The automobile sector is developed in Spain in the 1960s, being, in turn, one of the drivers of economic growth. It prospered under state protection and under investment by multinational brands and the INI. The sector has a major influence on the economy by inducing effects and its ability to activate the many companies that receive components. Spain has major auto manufacturing plants distributed throughout Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, etc.) and is one of the export sectors of our economy. The automobile industry suffered the effects of the conversion, which was very focused on the technical and financial reorganization, which was possible with the help of foreign investment and the state.
The chemical industry is built around petrochemical and chemical processing. The first is the basic chemistry that takes place in large industrial complexes, usually related to petroleum refineries (Huelva, Algeciras, Cartagena, etc.). It is a large capital tax, usually from foreigners. The chemical processing industry obtains various products such as paints, fertilizers, etc., which are produced in much smaller manufacturing facilities. They have a high degree of spatial dispersion, although their preferred location coincides with the most industrialized regions of the country: the Basque Country, the Catalan coast, and the metropolitan area of Madrid.
The food industry has gained strength in modern societies. It is a process of transformation of agricultural products imposed by the dissociation between producing and consuming areas. This sector is characterized by diversity in the nature of the products, the transformation processes, business structure, the geographical distribution of plants, etc. In general, it is dominated by small and medium-sized factories that mostly coincide with the areas of irrigation, but large multinational companies have also been established, whose presence could be very important in industries such as dairy products, oil, sugar, etc.
High-Tech Sectors and the Future of Industry
At the forefront of the industry and with a clear projection of the future are high-tech sectors, which provide discoveries, new materials, methods, and means for the improvement of industrial production. From these elements, there is talk of a new industrial revolution. Its importance lies in the unusual importance that technology has reached the modern world, where the value of industrial goods is not so much the material and its components but its technology components. This is a sector that integrates the various branches of electronics and its development has been driven by management, as is absolutely necessary for the remaining industries.
Environmental Implications of Industrial Activities
As far as the environmental implications are concerned, the industry has a number of impacts that generate environmental problems. Spain produces more than 13 million tons of industrial waste, a quarter of them are toxic and dangerous. All are factors arising from industrialization and changes in the environment and environmental degradation.
Atmospheric pollution caused by industry is the most charged. It results in the presence of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and many particles in suspension. These are elements that alter the composition of the atmosphere and remain suspended in anticyclonic weather types. Both in the air and once on the ground by rain, they are harmful to health, for the artistic and cultural heritage, agriculture, etc.
The environmental effects of industrial production are:
- An increase in the greenhouse effect that contributes to global warming.
- Development of the hole in the ozone layer.
- Acid rain: The elements that reach the atmosphere combined chemically react with oxygen and water vapor in the atmosphere. This water vapor, commonly known as acid rain, enters the water cycle and therefore may compromise the quality of forest biodiversity, soils, lakes, and streams.
- Ash in the atmosphere of certain areas that hurt the living standards of cities by poor air quality.
- Water and soil contamination by industrial effluents.
- Contamination by radioactive waste generated during processing fuel for nuclear reactors.
- Degradation of the landscape.
They are generally part of being altered by human natural ecosystems that began 12,000 years ago and since the Industrial Revolution accelerated. Concerns about environmental effects editing have led to conferences and summits in which solutions are sought by the international community to these problems. These conferences are:
- UN Conference on Human Environment, Stockholm, 1972
- The World Commission on Environment and Development which has a report to the UN General Assembly which explains the concept of “Sustainable development.”
- Rio de Janeiro, 1992
- In 2000, the Millennium Declaration was disclosed, which sets out action strategies to address the challenges facing humanity.
- World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002
- World Summit United Nations General Assembly in 2005.