Laserfiche WebLink
CITY OF LAKEWOOD CI.Ik1lAI I, ACTION IPILAINI <br /> 1.3 A Changing 0I iiia iii , <br /> Lakewood residents are already feeling the impacts of the climate crisis;they report power <br /> outages resulting from air conditioning demand, heavy downpours that cause localized and <br /> basement flooding,and more ozone awareness days. <br /> TheIIII iiiiink IIA IIIA A1111ir IlRollutilloirl aiind G irelm house <br /> Gas IlErnilissilloilirls <br /> The combustion of fossil fuels in furnaces and in vehicles generates greenhouse gasses <br /> which accumulate in the atmosphere to cause climate change.The combustion also results <br /> in harmful air pollutants,such as nitrous oxides.'When nitrous oxide reacts with sunlight, it <br /> forms ozone, particularly during summer months when temperatures are higher and there is <br /> more sunlight.While ozone is difficult to detect,you feel stinging eyes, shortness of breath, <br /> chest pain,wheezing,and coughing.Active children are at the highest risk from ozone <br /> exposure,as well as active adults and people with asthma or other respiratory diseases that <br /> make the lungs more vulnerable. Reducing the sources of GHG emissions also reduces <br /> harmful air pollutants, resulting in a healthier environment. <br /> The region is already planning for the impacts of the climate crisis. Cuyahoga County's All- <br /> Hazards Mitigation Plan calculates risk factors for natural hazards, most of which are expected <br /> to worsen with the effects of climate change.'Risk factors are calculated with a combination of <br /> scores, on a scale of 1 to 4 that rank the probability, impact,spatial extent,warning time,and <br /> duration of each hazard. In Lakewood, flooding, extirerne ternperatu res,and severe wilntelr <br /> stolrlrrl~us are the climate hazards with the highest risk factor scores, meaning they are more likely to <br /> occur and affect residents'well-being than other climate-related natural hazards such as drought. <br /> The projected changes to average temperatures, days below freezing,and precipitation <br /> anticipated in Cuyahoga County are shown in Figure 3. <br /> 7 Kinney,Patrick L."Interactions of climate change,air pollution,and human health."Current env iron mental health reports 5(2018):179-186. <br /> 8 Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Man a gement.2017.All Hazards Mitigation Plan.Prepared by Baker International. <br /> IIII <br />