MEL MELZER: Neglect of second industrial revolution’s inventions means regression

We risk falling back to the 19th century if we do not fix transport and electricity

The second industrial revolution, a period of innovation and advancement in technology, brought about transformative changes in the way people lived, worked and communicated. It was a time of remarkable progress, with inventions such as the telephone, the motor car and the aeroplane revolutionising the way we interact and travel.

How much artificial light do you think we earn with an hour of work at the average wage? Today it costs you less than half a second of your working time if you are on the average wage: half a second of work for an hour of light. To get that much light from a sesame oil lamp in Babylon in 1750 BCE would have cost you more than 50 hours of work. We are far better off now!

However, despite these advancements not everyone in the world has access to electricity. In SA progress has even gone backwards, with access to this essential resource no longer reliable. This lack of access not only limits quality of life but also hinders economic and social development. Aria chair James Holley outlined the deteriorating performance of Transnet: in 2018 it moved 226-million tonnes, falling to 173-million tonnes in 2022. This is likely to fall to between 155-million tonnes and 160-million tonnes for the financial year to March 2023, representing a 29% decline in five years.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

BDliveSA /  🏆 12. in ZA

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

SA's freedom project in regression, with little to celebrate - MashabaFreedom Day marks the first democratic elections held in South Africa on 27 April 1994. President Cyril Ramaphosa touched on poverty, unemployment and inequality as some of the elements limiting the freedom of many.
Read more »

When AI takes over: Our ChatGPT podcast disaster [LISTEN] | The Citizen🎧[LISTEN} When AI took over our tech team's podcast🤖 It turned into a Chat GPT script disaster! ⚠️🚀💥 Click the link for the shocking audio▶️ TheCitizenTeachCheck with cherylkahla shaunh15 & kruger_lyle ChatGPT OpenAI
Read more »

Kaizer Chiefs back in the race for second spot after 1-0 victory over Chippa United in GqeberhaIt took an exquisite second-half strike from Ashley du Preez to end Kaizer Chiefs' poor run in the DStv Premiership that had almost ended their faint hopes of finishing second.
Read more »

Kaizer Chiefs back in the race for second spot after 1-0 victory over Chippa United in GqeberhaKaizer Chiefs back in the race for second spot after 1-0 victory over Chippa United in Gqeberha: It took an exquisite second-half strike from Ashley du Preez to end Kaizer Chiefs' poor run in the DStv Premiership that had almost ended their faint hopes…
Read more »