Today's technology wouldn't exist if it weren't for the industrial revolution. In the mid-18th century James Watt created the steam engine, allowing Britain to produce and distribute energy resources faster than any other country at the time. This caused other countries to become increasingly dependent on Britain for all energy products. Britain possessed all the components necessary to produce energy, such as hydrocarbons, coal, iron, oil and natural resources. As time passed, the demand for resources also increased. The demand caused many urban citizens to move from their remote homes to the city, because there was a huge need for workers and miners. Finding a home within the city limits became difficult for many families, as the constant demand for labor meant that homes were quickly occupied. Living conditions in the city were very unsanitary; the houses were built quickly, resulting in a lack of support and instability. Technological advances in the mid-1700s, known as the Industrial Revolution, produced substances that continue to impact the environment today. The machine that started, and continued to cause, air pollution in the mid-1700s was the steam engine. The steam engine was originally created by Thomas Savery in 1698 to solve the problem of pumping water in coal mines. Savery's assistant, Thomas Newcomen, worked to make improvements to the steam engine, ultimately creating a steam engine that contained no limits to the amount of steam it could hold at any given time. In 1765, James Watt was commissioned to improve Newcomen's machines, although it was the best machine of its time, it became very inefficient. In 1769, the latest model of the steam engine was found... middle of paper... the amount of smoke was found to decrease, and with the passing of the law by parliament, citizens of cramped cities were forced to burn only smokeless fuels. In relation to today's society and environment, the steam engine and coal production have caused great negative effects. The world's energy producer, coal, has caused the air supply to lack the amount of oxygen our bodies need, due to the release of carbon into the air. The high amount of air pollution has caused many deaths and contractions of lung diseases. The deadly fog is not seen today, but it could easily return if we do not look for better sources of energy. Life expectancy in London is now 78 for men and 83 for women, demonstrating the improvement of the environment thanks to the Clean Air Act. Steam engines are still in use today, but have generally been modified to meet society's clean air needs.