Advances in transportation HW - Research Paper Example

? How do the new means of transportation impact the lives of people in the industrialized countries of the world? Transportation in the world has changed significantly since crude carts pulled by animals gave way to sleek cars, ocean liners and airplanes and the iron monster of the railways has been transformed into a light and super fast bullet train. All these modes of transportation have changed the way people live and work and its impact on trade and commerce and people to people contacts in the fields of art and culture has been tremendous. Fast and convenient means of transport have led to intermingling of cultures and an increase in knowledge of how people of different regions of the world live, as well as an awareness of various problems that affect them. Fast transfer of goods and resources are the backbone of modern industry and this has led to better jobs and living conditions for people all over the world. Faster and better transportation facilities also ensure quick relief to those people struck by natural or man made calamities. Although every invention has its drawbacks, these have been greatly minimized by new technologies and the many advantages of advances in modes of transportation have proved a boon to mankind. We have come a long way since man invented the wheel and realized that his own muscle power could be augmented by a mechanical means of transportation. The pace of inventing various new modes of transport increased during the industrial revolution in the 19th. century; but the 20th.century benefited greatly from these inventions and with increasingly faster, safer modes of transportation invented during the last century, lives of human beings have been greatly changed. The change in systems of transportation from waterways to roadways and then from railways to airways has been breath taking and a salute to man’s ingenuity. James Watt’s invention of the steam engine, led to the beginning of the railways and the Wright brothers first taught man how to fly an airplane.Since then many new engines and airplanes have been invented each with greater speeds, more comfort and conveniences.Today high speed modes of transportation are the norm rather than the exception. When man lived without railways and airplanes, he lived and died in a small world which did not consist of more than a few hundred miles. As automobiles and railroads were introduced, the world grew smaller and and more accessible; with the introduction of airplanes today it has been transformed into a global village. These faster means of transportation impact every aspect of human life and civilization. Faster means of transportation meant easily crossing boundaries and seeing and experiencing a different world inhabited by different races with different cultures and ways of living and working. Transportation provides access to resources and markets across countries and continents. It is a conduit not only of goods but also of peoples and cultures, the give and take of ideas and new inventions that have greatly influenced advances in sciences and technology, as well as important fields such as medicine and disaster management. Trade and commerce are greatly impacted due to modern transportation facilities. Roads and railways carry goods and people all over the world and across vast continents like Europe, Asia and America. Resources in any one part of a country or continent are processed and marketed in different parts of the same country or in other countries or continents due to modern means of transportation. Today man cannot envisage a life without an automobile or railway system. Simple everyday life would be in disarray without roads and railways. Ordinary activities like going to school or office or buying groceries or taking someone who is ill to a doctor or hospital would be badly affected without these means of conveyance. Perishable goods like fruit and flowers are easily transported over long distances, so that people who do not reside in the areas where they are grown can enjoy them. Transportation has given a big impetus to the tourism industry. People are easily able to travel to every part of the world and revel in the experience of gazing at ancient historical monuments and natural wonders and savoring the delights of varied cuisines, music, arts, customs and languages. The world is often hit by natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, forest fires or man made ones like war and rebellious aggression. At such times modern means of communication are a boon because they help in rapid transport of food and water, as well as aid, medication and personnel to help those in need. Lives can be saved due to aid reaching victims quickly and the resources unavailable at the site of disaster can be quickly supplied to reduce suffering. Transportation also is responsible for creating jobs. Automobiles, railways, airways and also water transport like ocean liners create jobs for millions of people world wide. Not only are workers employed in the factories that produce these, and the machines and various spares that these require but many more are also employed to run and service them. In third world countries like India and China rapid growth in infrastructure and hence rapid transport systems has seen their economies grow rapidly to compete with those of western nations.The automobile industry in its infancy catered to only the rich, but as its benefits were realized it became a necessity for almost everyone. In 1903 Henry Ford began the Ford Motor Company and proclaimed "I will build a car for the great multitude." (Ford,1903) His vision in introducing the concept of continuous assembly lines in the making of affordable vehicles cannot be overlooked. Historians have often looked at Henry Ford as someone “who freed the common man from the limitations of his geography”. (Brancheau, Wharton, & Kamalov, n.d.) Every new invention brings with its advantages some disadvantages too. Today with high levels of emissions being a worry for environmentalists, and the prices of gasoline pinching the consumer; new varieties of automobiles have entered international markets. These vehicles that use more than one source of power for propulsion are known as hybrid vehicles. The gasoline-electric hybrid is the most common among hybrid cars. The combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor gives this car the advantage of better mileage and lower emissions. However these cars are still more expensive and till they can be produced at competitive costs there will be fewer of them on the roads despite their fuel economy and environment friendliness. High speed rail networks are seen particularly in populous countries and island or small nations to lighten the burden of congestion on roads, since stations occupy less space than airports and can be situated in populated areas for the convenience of commuters. High speed rail began in Japan with the Shinkansen which actually means new trunk line that refers to the tracks, but the English name bullet train came from the translation of the Japanese nickname given to the project when it started as well as from the speed and design of the bullet train. High speed rail has become very popular as a fast and convenient means of transport in western Europe. Heavy investment in infrastructure projects, in Europe points to an increase in the use of high speed railways across the rest of the continent. Today’s aerodynamic light trains travel at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour. In addition to the implementation of new technologies in signalling systems and minimal traffic stoppages, these trains are able to minimize travel time and maximize efficiency. High speed railways are found increasingly throughout the world today but the largest networks are in Japan, China and Europe. These bullet trains have some very important advantages over road and air systems of travel. They are energy efficient and can carry more passengers, thus reducing the congestion on roads. In the US there is not much of a network of high speed railways, which is perhaps why president Obama was prompted to remark, "I don't want to see the fastest train in the world built halfway around the world in Shanghai. I want to see it built right here." (Obama, 2008). After he became president Barack Obama spoke of "a new system of high-speed rail in America" that "will be faster, cheaper and easier than building more freeways or adding to an already overburdened aviation system." (Obama, 2009) Man is constantly improvising and trying out new ideas to make transportation safer, faster and more efficient. There are numerous ideas in the pipeline about newer and faster methods of transportation that will move at mind boggling speeds; and use a variety of materials that are lighter and stronger, as well as a variety of fuels varying from electricity to liquid hydrogen. Every new era brings with it new challenges and for us in the present generation it is keeping our earth and environment safe for future generations, in addition to making life better and easier for our own. References Brancheau. J, Wharton .A, & Kamalov.F, n.d. The impact of the automobile in the 20th. century The History of the Automobile Retrieved from http://l3d.cs.colorado.edu/systems/agentsheets/New-Vista/automobile/ Ford. H (1903) About.com Inventors Henry Ford Biography Retrieved from http://inventors.about.com/od/fstartinventors/a/HenryFord.htm Obama. B (2008) ABC news/Politics By Lisa Stark, Matt Hosford and Kate Barrett Dec. 17, 2008 Obama Taps LaHood for Transportation Secretary Page 2 Money for Infrastructure Improvements Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=6199215&page=2 Obama B (2009) The Wall Street Journal/ Politics Friday, April 17, 2009 As of 12:00 AM U.S. Commits $13 Billion to Aid High-Speed Rail By Christopher Conkey and Alex Roth Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123989461947625407.html Read More