Modern Industry and its Impact: From Raw Materials to Global Economy
Industry: From Artisanal to Modern
Artisanal Craft Workshops: Characterized by handmade products, low productivity, craftsmen organized in guilds, and no division of labor.
Modern Industry: Employs machines and plants, resulting in higher product output. Workers are organized in unions, with specialized roles and a division of labor.
Raw Materials
These are natural resources transformed by industrial processes. They can be:
- Animal Origin: Leather
- Plant Origin: Rubber, cotton
- Mineral Origin: Metallic (iron), Non-metallic (clay), Energy (oil)
- Artificial Materials: Various synthetic materials
Energy Sources
Natural resources that power the transformation of raw materials and drive machinery. The discovery of electric power revolutionized industry, followed by natural gas and nuclear energy. Energy consumption is a measure of development, with higher consumption in industrialized nations due to their production and lifestyle demands.
- Coal: Plant debris used as fuel in power plants (China, USA, India, Australia).
- Oil: Plankton remains transformed into hydrocarbons. Refining produces petrol, diesel, etc., used in industries, transportation, and electricity generation (Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela).
- Natural Gas: Related to oil formation (Russia, USA, Canada, Algeria).
- Nuclear Energy: From radioactive minerals like uranium, obtained through fission. Poses environmental challenges due to radioactive waste (USA, France, Japan, Germany).
- Hydroelectric Energy: Generated from falling water.
- Solar Energy: Uses photovoltaic cells and solar panels.
- Wind Energy: Harnesses wind power with turbines.
- Tidal Energy: Utilizes wave and tide movement.
- Geothermal Energy: Employs Earth’s internal heat for heating or electricity.
- Biomass Energy: Uses agricultural, livestock, forestry, and urban waste.
Industries
Production Goods Industries: Require high investment, can be polluting, and need large spaces.
Base Industries (Heavy): Transform raw materials into semi-finished products for other industries (steel, heavy chemicals, energy production).
Equipment Goods Industries: Produce machinery for base industries (mechanical, aerospace).
Consumer Goods Industries (Light): Create products for direct consumption, use fewer resources, and are often located near cities (food, textile, automotive, plastics, IT).
Industrial Spaces
Factors influencing location:
- Proximity to raw materials and energy
- Consumer market presence
- Transportation and communication networks
- Skilled human resources
- Regional economic development
- Presence of other industries
- Land availability and price
- Supportive industrialization policies
Heavy industries are located near raw materials and energy sources. Light industries are situated near consumer markets.
Scattered Industrial Areas: Isolated industries.
Grouped Industrial Spaces: Industrial zones (urban periphery with infrastructure for light industries) and technological parks (high-quality spaces for high-tech industries and research centers).
Changes in Industrial Production
- New and Recycled Materials: Advanced ceramics in electronics, lighter metal alloys.
- Process Innovations: Electronics-based innovations, computer-aided design and manufacturing (robotics).
- R&D Importance: Continuous innovation necessitates research and development.
Global Industrial Landscape
Key regions: US, Canada, Latin America, EU, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Newly Industrialized Countries (South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan), South Africa, Central Africa, North Africa.
Environmental Concerns
Greenhouse Effect: Atmospheric gases trap heat, but increased CO2 from industrial emissions intensifies this effect, leading to rising temperatures, altered weather patterns, and melting ice.
Secondary Sector Activities
These include industry and construction, distinguished by technology. This sector transforms raw materials from the primary sector (e.g., construction, railway, chemical, electronics, energy).