How Have Automobiles Made Changes to Our Society - Research Paper Example

Introduction Defined as a wheeled vehicle with the ability to carry its own moving parts and passengers, the automobile is one of humanity’s greatest inventions. The automobile as we know it, however, is a product of cumulative years of continual innovation and was not invented in a single day by one particular inventor. The modern automobile is a product of 100,000 patents created over time by inventors from different parts of the world, all with a single objective of making movement between locations easier, faster and comfortable (Parissien, 12). There were, however many firsts that were seen on the road to building a functional automobile that the modern world depends so much on, from one part of the present automobile to the next. Each part of the automobile has a rich history of invention from steam engines that pioneered, to electrical and gasoline driven engines that are seen today. Great men, from Karl Benz, the man to have come up with the first practical automobile to the pioneer of assembly line production in the industry, Henry Ford. Thanks to years of innovation, steam engines that first powered automobile prototypes were improved to the machines we use today to transport both ourselves and goods to different locations. All citizens of planet are affected by the automobile even in the most remote parts of the world where roads as we know them as non-existent. We are able to cover distances that would in the past take humanity months, in a matter of days thanks to the automobile. Help is able to reach the needy in remote locations because of the automobile. Every individual on the face of our planet is positively affected by the automobile to the last person alive. Like Henry Ford said: “I invented nothing new. I simply assembled the discoveries of other men behind whom were centuries of work. Had I worked fifty or ten or even five years before, I would have failed. So it is with every new thing. Progress happens when all the factors that make for it are ready, and then it is inevitable. To teach that a comparatively few men are responsible for the greatest forward steps of mankind is the worst sort of nonsense.” Thesis statement: Even though there are numerous arguments about automobile, I think that automobile has given benefits on making our lives more efficient and shall still be in use in the future. History of the automobile The history of automobile is one of the most divisive subjects because it can be traced to the fifteenth century and was improved over centuries, which makes it very difficult to specifically spot its point of origin. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot is within this entire division, credited with the first steam powered automobile in 1768. It was not until 1807 when Francois de Rivas came up with an automobile powered by internal combustion engine whose fuel was hydrogen at the time. The big break came in 1886 when Karl Benz gave the world the first gasoline powered engine, a development that facilitated the first production of multiple identical copies of the same automobile (Hennessy, Kathryn and Beth, 36). It is from Benz’s innovation that the automobile industry took shape and the automobiles we see today all share functionality with Benz’s first car. A few things have changed to make automobiles better and more efficient but the fundamental concept is that of Mr. Benz. With the blueprint perfected by Karl Benz and other French inventors at the end of 1800s, the 1900 was Henry Ford’s turn to take the global automobile industry to the next level. Mr. Ford innovated around the concept of mass production and made possible for the first time in history, to mass produce automobiles in assembly line. This development made it possible to have so many cars in the roads of the world today. The early 1900 saw American dominance of the Automobile industry with Ford, Chrysler and General Motors sharing the market at the top. As technology progressed, this spot would be taken by Japan in the east which became a leading producer of automobiles in the 1980s and still holds that spot today with its Toyota brand (Berger, 54). As henrys Ford put it in My Life and Work: “I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one...” From the steam engine days, automobiles have evolved to be more comfortable, fuel efficient, safe and fast over the centuries. Today, we have automobiles for sports, adventure, luxury, transport of both small and bulky goods; a very different picture from the first functional automobile by Benz. Automobiles have become more affordable thanks to Henry Ford’s production line concept. Cars are in use across the world, from the most advanced cities to remote villages to transport people and goods, helping people send and receive food as well as seek all forms of help when in distress. The automobile is one 15th century innovation that is part of humanity hundreds of years later. We now have lactic cars and are working on flying cars to conquer the skies. Advantage and disadvantage of using automobile The automobile, like any other invention has the good and no so good faces, here are the advantages of using automobiles according to (Smith, 16): Automobiles have huge economic value-Without heavy trucks that are today at the center of transporting goods to various locations, the world economy would be at a standstill. Distribution of working locations- the automobile has made possible to work at locations away from place of residence by giving humanity both mobility and great flexibility. Today, it is possible to enjoy the country side life while working in the city because of the automobile. Family ties- because of automobiles, families living apart can regularly see one anther because of the automobile. It is the world’s most used means of transport, making it a contributor to strong ties for families living apart. Expansion of freedom- Automobiles have made the human race much free. Presently, it is possible to drive across the US in your automobile and se parts not dreamt about in the pre-automobile era. This invention has removed a lot of limitations from the life of the human race. Finally, Comfort and safety- Automobiles have allowed us to travel through beast infested jungles unperturbed and with maximum comfort thanks to additional inventions of Air Conditioning and comfortable seats. Disadvantages Deaths from accidents- Statistics show that 1.2 million die annually from automobile related accidents with injuries at forty times this figure. Cars are responsible for more orphans around the world than any other means of transportation. Obesity due to inactivity- The ability to move to different locations seated has led to extreme inactivity that gives rise to the health concern of obesity (Cohen, 45). The biggest disadvantage associated with automobiles is pollution- automobiles around the world are responsible for the largest potion of green house gas emissions which is destroying this planet at unimaginable rates. Destruction of natural habitat- this is done to pave way for roads for automobiles. The amount of natural habitats destroyed to build roads is immense on a global scale. It is estimated that based on primary production functions, one automobile has the potential habitat loss of 50,000 square meters. These are some of the disadvantages. How it affects our lives Cars have allowed us to defend ourselves. With the help of these machines, help reaches those in need when a natural disaster occurs in time, wars are fought with ease through rough terrains and counties can easily move to defend their territories when threatened. Automobiles are responsible for security in the streets as law enforcement officers depend on them to respond to distress calls from ordinary citizens. According to James Wilson (pg 19), all spheres of the human life are in one way or the other dependant on an automobile making the invention part of our daily lives despite their negative contributions. Prior to automobiles, putting off fires was not easy but today, we have specialized automobiles for that function, same for collection of our garbage so that our streets are kept litter free. The human race depends entirely on one form of automobile or the next to perform daily routines. We have also been affected by heavy pollution from automobiles that are responsible for the rise in global temperature and the threat of our time. Despite pollution and accidents, we cannot find any replacement for automobiles, at least at the moment. What people think about automobile There are mixed thoughts on the automobile with millennial who were raised a t a time when taking the car was normal not finding much excitement from the invention. Those who were raised in the 1950s through to 70s and those living in developing countries where automobiles were scarce and had to walk long distances until recently, look at the invention as ‘God sent’. In the America of 60s and 70s, learning to drive an automobile once one turned 16 years was a much anticipated rite of passage with every teenager dreaming for that day. It was in essence the culmination of ‘American Dream’ (Berger, 61). Not so for the new generation who do not seem to care much about automobiles and are never excited about learning how to drive. Besides the millennial generation who are not as much excited about automobiles, the world population holds these machines in very high regard. Conservationists, however, consider automobiles a necessary evil that can be either minimized in usage or improved immensely to make it friendlier to the environment (Faiz et al, 201). The automobile as it is today, is part of the human culture, so despite what the different groups think, it is universally accepted as the most important means of transport that allows life on planet earth to be what it is. Why people agree that automobile bring benefits to our lives Since every part of the human life depends on one form of automobile or another, it is not difficult to find consensus on the benefits of these machines. The businesses created around automobiles persuade most people to see these machines as beneficial. In the contemporary world, we have moving covering the last mile from continents away on automobiles allowing cultures to meet and interact (Millard-Ball, 41). Used clothing in America and Europe, for example, are transported to remote African villages where they make a huge difference. These could easily be dumped had automobiles to cover the extra miles beyond the shipping docs were not available. Biblical references depict immense risks by those who were seeking to spread Christianity as religion prior to automobiles. Presently, missionaries of all religions are able to visit the far ends of planet earth and spread their religious beliefs, something that has brought homogeneity in beliefs around the world. Automobiles are responsible to larger extent, for the fast growth of the various religious beliefs, reducing paganism and making the world more united. Indeed, automobiles are considered beneficial by a very most segments of the contemporary society. Why people disagree that automobile bring benefits to our lives The number of deaths and magnitude of environmental degradations persuades some people to disagree with any benefits brought by automobiles. The Union of Concerned Scientists reported that in 2013, transportation was the largest contributor to emission of dangerous gases that include among other; carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. More than half of the harmful gases emitted were from automobiles in the United States (ucsusa.org). They are not however, in total dislike with the machines, but hold the opinion that use of cleaner fuel technologies can significantly reduce this harm. Adopting such technology they say, can half the use of gasoline in America within 20 years (ucsusa.org). Because of the use of petroleum products by cars, most credit them for the many conflicts in oil rich regions where millions of lives are lost as the scramble for ‘black gold’ turns into wars. Some argue that were it not for cars, there would be little demand for oil and the world would not be so chaotic, especially in the oil rich Middle East. This is one school of thought that seems to blame what cars use for problems in the world. Credible or not, those who hold this opinion see cars as the problem. The future of automobile There is raging debate and mixed expectations on how the car of the future will look like. From flying to driverless cars, the future is expected to be technology packed with next generation cars, a sharp contrast of their early 1900s counterparts. As the world seeks more affordable cars, future manufacturing plants must be different from what Henry Ford established and the current high energy consumption facilities dotted around the world (Cars of the Future, 07). The idea of self driving cars is not so farfetched, Benz, the world automobile pioneer is taking lead in this area with the Mercedes F015 whose prototype is soon to hit the roads. Other manufacturers like Nissan, Toyota and Jaguar are not far off in this area with their prototypes at advanced stages (Dredge, 13). Future cars will not only keep drivers connected to the world outside through radios and side mirrors, but will also have an assortment of gadgets that link to mobile technology. These cars will be safe, efficient and techno savvy. We are likely to have smart cars in the not so distant future that can not only make intelligent decisions, but remain safe in these contexts. Aspects of this development are already in place with many new cars fitted with intelligent gadgets that enable to keep safe distance on the road. Just like in the past centuries before the first practical car by Karl Benz, the process of producing the future car will be gradual but progressive. With self driving cars, it will be possible to have automobiles run errands on our behalf where the machine can communicate with service providers and collect items at known locations. Once these cars conquer the roads on their own, they will take to the sky. AeroMobil has already taken lead in this technology and produced a prototype and in the future, this technology will be available to far more manufacturers than it currently is (Dredge, 36). With the air and water conquered, the future automobile will be a machine without limits, road, water or air. The future car as is envisioned by technology experts in this industry will make a mockery of the first cars in the late 1800s. But even as they do so, the basic concept propelling these machines we must say, is that of the many inventors before Karl Benz. Conclusion The automobile has come a long way from steam powered engines to electric powered cars that are currently plying the streets of the world. Even with some groups not in agreement, it’s a fact that cars have made the world a better place and given the human race freedoms previously not thought. Thanks to the automobile, Americans can cross the vast continent in a few days, interacting with other people of different creed along the way. The concerns on pollution, through threatening, can be reduced by improving technology as suggested by the Union of Concerned Scientists. It fair to conclude that automobiles have done more good than harm to humanity made our planet a global village. Were it not for cars, work would be inaccessible and people would be crowded in locations close to their source of income. Freedom we wanted, and freedom we received thanks to automobiles. We must pay tribute to the great men who made it possible to be as free and flexible as we are today. Works Cited Berger, Michael L. The American Automobile in the 20th Century: A Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001. Print. Cars of the Future: Seventeenth Report of Session 2003-04. Vol. Ii. S.l.: Stationery Office, 2005. Print. Cohen, Deborah. A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic - and How We Can End It. New York: Nation Books, 2014. Dredge, Richard. Concept Cars: Designing for the Future. San Diego, Calif: Thunder Bay Press, 2004. Print. Faiz, Asif, Christopher S. Weaver, Michael P. Walsh, and Surhid P. Gautam. Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles; Standards and Technologies for Controlling Emissions. Washington, D.C: The World Bank, 1996. Print. Hennessy, Kathryn, and Beth L. Hester. Car: The Definitive Visual History of the Automobile. New York, N.Y: DK Pub, 2011. Print. http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/why-clean-cars/air-pollution-and-health/cars-trucks-air- pollution.html#.VScM-vCH5kg Millard-Ball, Adam. Car-sharing: Where and How It Succeeds. Washington, D.C: Transportation Research Board, 2005. Print. Parissien, Steven. The Life of the Automobile: The Complete History of the Motor Car. , 2014. Smith, A J. The Truth About Automobiles. Oberlin, Ohio: Truth About Automobiles, 1991. Print. James Q. Wilson, “Cars and Their Enemies,” Commentary 104, no. 1 (July 1997): 17–23; Read More