Negative Effects
Possessions we take for granted such as the automobile can have a negative effect on society. The automobile must have been one of the greatest inventions in the last one hundred years. It has helped the United States to grow in ways never imaginable before. It allowed people to move out of highly congested cities and move into more peaceful neighborhoods. However the negative effects of the automobile were not thought of in those days. Now it is clear of what negative effects the automobile has on society. Imagine if severe controls must be placed on the use of motor cars because, for example, crude oil has suddenly become very expensive and scarce, or because some pollutant of motor car exhaust suddenly found to be many times more toxic than previously thought. Society has adjusted to cheap transport in its siting of houses, factories and offices, so sudden restrictions on transport would inevitably be very expensive. Large parts of the economy would virtually collapse. A significant shift from private cars to buses and trains would be impossible in the short term because their number has adjusted to the existence of a transport system dominated by the private car. It would take many years and a huge investment before buses and trains could carry anything but a tiny fraction of those previously using motor cars. Automobiles are a good example of how technology can backfire on this world.
Possessions we take for granted such as the automobile can have a negative effect on society. The automobile must have been one of the greatest inventions in the last one hundred years. It has helped the United States to grow in ways never imaginable before. It allowed people to move out of highly congested cities and move into more peaceful neighborhoods. However the negative effects of the automobile were not thought of in those days. Now it is clear of what negative effects the automobile has on society. Imagine if severe controls must be placed on the use of motor cars because, for example, crude oil has suddenly become very expensive and scarce, or because some pollutant of motor car exhaust suddenly found to be many times more toxic than previously thought. Society has adjusted to cheap transport in its siting of houses, factories and offices, so sudden restrictions on transport would inevitably be very expensive. Large parts of the economy would virtually collapse. A significant shift from private cars to buses and trains would be impossible in the short term because their number has adjusted to the existence of a transport system dominated by the private car. It would take many years and a huge investment before buses and trains could carry anything but a tiny fraction of those previously using motor cars. Automobiles are a good example of how technology can backfire on this world.
Advancements in Transportation Technology
Transportation technology includes many related areas. Motive power, of course, is one key technology. Early vehicles were pulled by human or animal power. Steam engines powered locomotives and ships in the nineteenth century. The internal-combustion engine was invented in the 1880s and used almost immediately in cars and trucks. The jet engine was invented in the 1940s. Each of these inventions was improved by thousands of additional innovations. But less-obvious technologies also made transportation cheaper and faster. Manufacturing innovations, from Baldwin Locomotive Works’ record-keeping systems to Henry Ford’s assembly line to the Toyota system of just-in-time inventory, made personal transportation affordable.
Transportation technology includes many related areas. Motive power, of course, is one key technology. Early vehicles were pulled by human or animal power. Steam engines powered locomotives and ships in the nineteenth century. The internal-combustion engine was invented in the 1880s and used almost immediately in cars and trucks. The jet engine was invented in the 1940s. Each of these inventions was improved by thousands of additional innovations. But less-obvious technologies also made transportation cheaper and faster. Manufacturing innovations, from Baldwin Locomotive Works’ record-keeping systems to Henry Ford’s assembly line to the Toyota system of just-in-time inventory, made personal transportation affordable.
Solution's to Transportation Technology