19th Century Decision Makers
Assignment 1: Comparative Article Review
Due: October 4th, 2010
The Evolution of Sanitation:
How 19th Century Decision Makers Influenced Today’s Innovation
By: Ryan Parkinson
I. Introduction By the late 1800’s, the method of sewage treatment became a heated issue of debate among members of political parties. At the time, the belief was that poor health was a matter of fate. Health promoters, however, argued that, “disease arose from correctable environmental causes.”[i] Until the mid 1800’s, disposal of biological waste was unsanitary and left in the hands of manual street sweepers. With various diseases becoming epidemics, governments were forced to develop a new method of disposal. Both Harold L. Platt and Vijay Prashad use historical …show more content…
In Britain, we see citizens executing their democratic right, voting against the government project in favour of science and technology. This allowed for greater research in sanitation control, resulting in an increased rate of development. Coming in behind Britain was the United States. Their sanitation revolution, however, lacked societal pressure, as it was believed that the governing bodies knew what was best for its people. Science was not given the necessary respect, and if not for legal mandates, Chicago and the rest of the United States would not have progressed at the same rate. Finally, in India, the general education and ignorance of elected officials, coupled with inadequate protests, consequently delayed the progression of sanitation technology. When officials state that, “the [sewage systems] would be wasted on the natives, who would not even appreciate their economic value,” it is clear that society must rebel. This, however, was not the case, resulting is poor sanitation conditions and manual street sweepers still utilized …show more content…
In all three cities, Governments made uneducated decisions, ignoring science, and relied on a profit-oriented approach. It was the differing activist movements that led to varying sanitation and sewage system development. While Britain and the United States continue to advance in sanitation technology, India still lags. It is estimated that over half of the human feces in most urban areas of India is not collected.[xiii] Moving forward, it is our responsibility to seek innovation, continually challenging government reform, in hopes of creating a more prosperous
Due: October 4th, 2010
The Evolution of Sanitation:
How 19th Century Decision Makers Influenced Today’s Innovation
By: Ryan Parkinson
I. Introduction By the late 1800’s, the method of sewage treatment became a heated issue of debate among members of political parties. At the time, the belief was that poor health was a matter of fate. Health promoters, however, argued that, “disease arose from correctable environmental causes.”[i] Until the mid 1800’s, disposal of biological waste was unsanitary and left in the hands of manual street sweepers. With various diseases becoming epidemics, governments were forced to develop a new method of disposal. Both Harold L. Platt and Vijay Prashad use historical …show more content…
In Britain, we see citizens executing their democratic right, voting against the government project in favour of science and technology. This allowed for greater research in sanitation control, resulting in an increased rate of development. Coming in behind Britain was the United States. Their sanitation revolution, however, lacked societal pressure, as it was believed that the governing bodies knew what was best for its people. Science was not given the necessary respect, and if not for legal mandates, Chicago and the rest of the United States would not have progressed at the same rate. Finally, in India, the general education and ignorance of elected officials, coupled with inadequate protests, consequently delayed the progression of sanitation technology. When officials state that, “the [sewage systems] would be wasted on the natives, who would not even appreciate their economic value,” it is clear that society must rebel. This, however, was not the case, resulting is poor sanitation conditions and manual street sweepers still utilized …show more content…
In all three cities, Governments made uneducated decisions, ignoring science, and relied on a profit-oriented approach. It was the differing activist movements that led to varying sanitation and sewage system development. While Britain and the United States continue to advance in sanitation technology, India still lags. It is estimated that over half of the human feces in most urban areas of India is not collected.[xiii] Moving forward, it is our responsibility to seek innovation, continually challenging government reform, in hopes of creating a more prosperous