The Dynamite Essay Example

nitrate, and an absorbent such as wood flour, sawdust or charcoal to cushion the nitro-glycerine from shock.

The nitro-glycerine is often mixed with ingredients which depress its freezing point, so that the dynamite may be used under conditions of low temperature. Oxidizing agents are included in most dynamites in order to reduce the amount of carbon monoxide and other poisonous fumes produced when the mixture explodes. The strength of a quantity of dynamite depends upon its nitro-glycerine content, which usually ranges from 10 to 75 percent of the mixture. Various types are manufactured according to the uses for which they are intended.

The most powerful of dynamites is blasting gelatine. When this material is mixed with wood flour and potassium nitrate, a product known as gelatine dynamite results. Dynamite is generally manufactured in sticks or cartridges about 8 inches long and from 1 to 3 inches in diameter. These cartridges are fired by detonating caps, which are inserted under the paper covering of the dynamite stick. Like any other invention, the dynamite had its positive and negative effects. It also had an impact upon resources, social issues and environment.

Let me first start talking about the positives. The dynamite was originally created so it can help the world advance and make people’s lives easier. Because of the dynamite, the whole world started connecting. Dynamite was used to create carvings in mountains in order to build railroads and connect countries. It was also used in mines in order to take gold and gems from underground. Because if the dynamite, miners lives were no longer at huge risk and work was accomplished faster. They

also were able to reach deep spots underground in order to extract different minerals.

It provided job opportunities for many people, which is one of the social impacts. Many people that barely found food became rich because they opened factories to produce dynamite-from rags to rich. People were able to build advanced buildings (compared to their time). And it gave us the opportunity to get many resources from underground such as gold and other minerals. And finally trade became common between countries. But that trade also was the beginning of the negative effects of this invention. Militaries started using the dynamite in wars against other countries.

Not only that, but terrorism started appearing at that time. Terrorist groups would aim governmental institutions and explode them with the dynamite. If you would compare the number of deaths in war before and after the dynamite, you would be amazed. People then were sure that the country that had the dynamite was probably going to be the strongest. European countries started competing in creating the dynamite and started selling it world-wide. You might say that this was a positive impact but because people at that time didn’t quite understand the dynamite that this trade usually ended in death.

Because shipping dynamite at that time wasn’t safe, many catastrophes happened. For example, a shipment route to California blew up in Panama, killing 60 and causing a half-million dollars in damage. Nobel's own dynamite factory in Hamburg, Germany, blew up leaving nothing but a shattered foundation and killing his brother. Later in WW1 the dynamite became one of the popular weapons in used. Because of this dynamite,

thousands lost their lives, thousands lost their homes and millions lost their loved ones. It turned Earth into a living hell.

You might say that there were other weapons used but the creation of the dynamite affected people psychologically. They started seeing an invention that can shatter a whole building in seconds which led to the rising of aggression inside people. All these negative effects and we still didn’t talk about the environment. The dynamite caused many negative impacts on the environment and the health of people. It first starts with pollution and ends up with destruction. Many lands, farms and natural landscapes were destroyed because of the dynamite, especially in war.

Not to mention pollution, one of the worst impacts caused by dynamite. It polluted the air and the water which makes a person’s health at risk. The dynamite also led to a new type a fishing called ‘dynamite fishing’. It started long ago but it’s common these days. I will speak to you more about it in the modern impacts of dynamites. So although the dynamite gave us many resources, it took the main resources of life, air, water, living creatures and humans. As for its social impacts, it raised the sense of aggression inside people.

But it also opened the door to the creation of many inventions (weapons). “For my part, I wish all guns with their belongings and everything could be sent to hell, which is the proper place for their exhibition and use. ” Alfred Nobel. If Alfred Nobel himself said that about weapons and dynamites then what should people these days say about them. We have

to agree that until this day, the dynamite still affects us. Since the invention of the dynamite and until this very second, many harmful weapons are being born. And for every new born weapon, there is a dead person.

After the dynamite, many other weapons were created but most importantly, nuclear weapons. We now know no peace and the only language we speak is war. Every day children and women die because of weapons. The creation of the dynamite opened the door to many other weapons. Nuclear weapons are destroying us today and it all started with the dynamite. Now days, a teenager knows how to make a dynamite. Because of the dynamite and the other weapons that came after it, we will never see the word ‘peace’ again. People back then thought it was ok to use dynamite and people now think its ok to use nuclear weapons.

In the middle of all these negative impacts on us today, I would like to add a positive impact. The dynamite is the main cause for the invention of many machines used in mining today such as the mining truck. If it wasn’t for Alfred Nobel, who knows when we would have gotten an idea to make mining easier. Now back to the negative impacts. The dynamite used today, although it’s a few percent, still pollutes the environment in many ways. The impact of the dynamite on the environment since it was created until today is the same.

The only difference is that today we have explosives that cause more harm on the environment and people. As I mentioned before, few years after

the creation of the dynamite a new type of fishing called dynamite fishing appeared. In this process, fisher men blast dynamite in the water and a result fish are left dead and corals are destroyed. Can you imagine that dynamite can destroy about 60% of corals in an area? And of course there are even more consequences to this incident. The destruction of corals ruins the habitat, inhibits the growth of new corals and disrupts the food web.

And as a result, jobs are lost and tourism is less, so a decrease in the economy. Which tourist would like to go watch blasted corals? It’s a loss for everyone. Maybe the creation of the dynamite in the 1800’s had benefits but today it barely does. All what its causes is destruction, death and pollution. Although Alfred Noble created an explosive to help mankind but people as usual look for aggression, war and money. And although the dynamite helped in the industry when it was created yet until this day we suffer the consequences of this explosive.