By Nicholas McGuire
Metro Campus Reporter
Amid the troublesome and confusing sweeps of extremely low to unusually high temperatures, Cleveland has been facing a seemingly crappy and harsh environment that has apparently been influencing many common and unfortunate sicknesses. Although Northeast Ohio is not as bad as other parts of the state has been (relating to biological concerns), health has been influenced by the conditions that we have been facing throughout the previous months. Natural conditions could obviously be an excuse for the way our weather is, but human interaction is definitely to blame.
With the high use of motor fuels, vehicle emissions are seeping into the ozone along with whatever else we use to live in a modern day urban life, creating a chance for acid rain, smog, hazing pollution and chances for people to be influenced by cancers and other serious traumatic conditions.
Recently, employees from Cleveland’s Ohio Action Committee has been going door-to-door asking citizens to sign a petition regarding the use of an incinerator near Ridge Road, at the Ridge Road Transfer station. The petition, along with a large amount of citizen-written letters, would give Ohio’s governing leader a time to reflect and understand why Cleveland does not want the use of a potentially cancer-causing machine in the presence of Ohio.
As far as understanding what the incinerator is, we might imagine a large furnace where city garbage is destroyed. One might picture the concerns of using its method as a lower standard than recycling and composting trash. The incinerator has a much higher chance of causing mercury contamination and potential lead poisoning, and may even be linked to a list of other ailments. If you would like to take action to help in some fashion, you might consider emailing David Hearn of The Cleveland Division of Air Quality from the Department of Public Health at: DHearne@city.cleveland.oh.us.
