All materials were sourced locally during the Renaissance, requiring specific processes to harvest and transport. Excavating Carrara marble used materials like manual saws. Once blocks were cut, the Arno was used as a highway to transport. Local sourcing used man power, lowering carbon emissions and supporting the local economy. The sustainability trade off was that the processes were severely dependent on environmental conditions, and there were many more injuries to workers. Modern times use diamond wire saws and machinery to excavated the marble, speeding up the process. The system is efficient and accessible, but environmentally produces much more carbon and causes degrading of the surrounding environment. I believe that a Renaissance engineer looking at the marble industry would be amazed by the efficiency of machinery in modern times. While the Renaissance supply chain required human ingenuity and stamina, the modern industry is a globalized process that requires efficiency and high environmental costs.
Swanson School of Engineering 