As we look into the technology that changed our planet we have lots of options to explore. I want to explore the very beginning of our communications as humans. The piece of paper is the oldest form of communication that we still use today. There were earlier forms of written communication such as papyrus and amate but these are not considered to be a modern-day paper which includes a milled plant mix and textiled fibers woven together.
The first papermaking was thought to have been invented in 25-220 CE in China to be used in their court systems. Cai Lun, a court official, has been attributed to being the inventor of paper to improve record-keeping for the legal system. The process soon spread to other parts of the world with the middle eastern region picking up the art in the 8th century and the Europeans in the 11th century. The process quickly became refined in Europe as they introduced new techniques to produce the product. North America was slower to adopt the technique with the first papermill not opening in the United States until 1690 by William Rittenhouse of Philidelphia.
The invention of paper has to be credited as one the most important inventions ever conceived. The history of our ancestors would remain a large mystery with only word-of-mouth stories to have any idea where we came from. Written records gave us an increased understanding of who we were, what we are now, and what we could be.
Paper created the history of who we are but also created new ways of spreading information with letters and newspapers, books became a new form of entertainment, and literacy rates improved drastically, and heavy metal coins weren't needed anymore as a form of payment. Communication ultimately changed for the better because communicating didn't have to happen in person anymore. You could now write a letter and mail it to someone far away without having to make the journey to have the conversation. Throughout the 14th century, the popularity of books grew with the bible becoming one of the most published books of the time. The largest issue paper solved was making the world more literate and creating a smaller feeling planet with the ability to share your thoughts with someone from far away.
The invention of paper had lots of positive impacts on society but there were some negatives associated with it. The paper milling process is not considered to be environmentally friendly. Air pollution, the need for large amounts of water, and paper byproduct entering the water system after the paper production has proven the be significantly harmful. I have experienced the air pollution of paper mills firsthand when traveling through Maine to go skiing. Maine has multiple papermill factories and when travelling through Jay, Maine you could smell it from quite a distance away. At the time I was young and had no idea what the smell was but my dad who was born in Maine knew exactly what it was. The smell of rotten eggs burned my nose and created quite an unpleasant feeling. I was told it used to be quite a bit worse and that environmental protections have cracked down on the mills. Sticking to the environmental impacts the production of paper has grown to an amount that none of the original inventors could have ever imagined. According to the EPA, 28% of all trash is made up of paper products. There has been improvment, though, as of 2011 with 2/3 of all paper waste being recycled.
Overall, the invention of paper and its benefits have far outweighed any of the negatives associated with it.
https://sciencing.com/how-does-recycling-paper-affect-the-environment-5171772.html
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/05/best-revenge-is-your-paper/483671/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_paper
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