Washing Machine: A Local & Global Impact Who Uses Washing Machines? If you are reading this then most likely you fit into the wealthiest 1 Billion people on earth. If that is the case then its likely that your clothes are washed mechanically. How many people do you know that manage to fit in enough hours to heat up water with firewood and then manually scrub at they’re clothes for hours. In the world living below the poverty line there is a very different story to ours. People will spend several hours at a time going through this process of heating water and scrubbing clothes several times a week. When looking at the numbers of people using washing machines, and comparing this to people living above and below different poverty lines we see that washing machines pay a large impact on peoples lives. The info-graphic top right of the page across shows how out of the 5 billion people living with electricity, only 2 billion have a washing machine. These 2 billion people live on >$40 per day, a huge step up from >$2 per day. You could say that because these people are wealthier they can afford a washing machine, but we can also say that the washing machine has in fact enabled them to become wealthier. The productivity of the washing machine enables people to spend time in education, work and with their families. So this product does in fact fuel economic growth on a much larger scale than you might have thought.
Energy Disribution Money Per Day on Consumption
> $80
> $40
> $2
< $2
1 out of twelve units of total global energy use
The Numbers Economic Distribution
{
Owns washing machine
Access to electricity
{
> $80 Per Day on Consumption
> $40 Per Day on Consumption
> $2 Per Day on Consumption
< $2 Per Day on Consumption 1 Bilion People
Future Impact? The worlds population is increasing, however predictions state that the total population will peek at around 9 Billion. In that time the poorest people will likely develop economically also. Currently 2 Billion people use 2/3 of the worlds energy per year, but this will increase with the development of the 3rd world. This will mean more and more washing machines will be needed in the future, leading to a large rise in energy consumption. This global economic and technological growth all leads towards a colossal rise in energy consumption.
To summarise, the washing machine is a key product in the development and growth of people living in poverty. However if everyone rises out of poverty and starts using washing machines then we will have a global energy crisis on our hands. The significance of this product is that it signifies an important dilemma:
Does the world need basic technology more than keeping the world green?
Data from Hans Rosling. Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute.