When you consider internal combustion engines, you probably think about the one under the hood of your car or truck, the gasoline-powered engine. Although this engine is good for moving you around, it is not adequate for moving large quantities of goods and people long distances; global transportation requires more massive engines.
What makes it possible for us to transport billions of tons of raw materials and manufactured goods from country to country? Why are we able to fly almost anywhere in the world in a Boeing or Airbus jetliner within 24 hours? Two notable technical innovations that have driven globalization are diesel engines, which power cargo ships, locomotives, and large trucks, and natural gas-fired turbines that power planes and other means of transportation.

The diesel engine was first developed to the point of commercial success by Rudolf Diesel in the 1890s. After graduating from Munich Polytechnic in Germany, Diesel became a refrigerator engineer, but his true love lay in engine design. He developed an engine that converted the chemical energy available in diesel fuel into mechanical energy that could power trucks, cargo ships, and so on.
Today, more than 90 percent of global trade in manufactured goods and raw materials is transported with the use of diesel engines.
The natural gas-fired turbine is another driver of globalization.
A gas turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a flow of combustion gas. This energy produces a power thrust that sends an airplane into the sky. It also turns a shaft or a propeller that moves locomotives and ships. The gas turbine was invented by Frank Whittle, a British engineer, in the early 1900s. Although Wilbur and Orville Wright are the first fathers of flight, Whittle's influence on global air travel should not be underestimated.
These two engines, diesels and turbines, have become important movers of goods and people throughout the world. They have reduced transportation costs to such an extent that distance to the market is a much smaller factor affecting the location of manufacturers or the selection of the origin of imported raw materials. Indeed, neither international trade nor intercontinental flights would have realized such levels of speed, reliability, and affordability as have been achieved had it not been for diesel engines and gas turbines. Although diesels and turbines have caused environmental problems, such as air and water pollution, these machines will likely not disappear soon.

What do you think? How did diesel engines and gas turbines promote international trade among nations?