January 7 , 2021 The Beacon • 7
Letter to the Editor
All of us have to have one or two masks on hand when we go out , but the biggest issue of wearing a mask goes beyond comfort . Although convenient and hygienic , the disposable mask is a problem we ’ ll have to tackle soon .
As WHO reported in March , there has been a need for an estimated 89 million disposable masks every month of the pandemic ( Chaib , 2020 ). Those numbers seem even worse when you consider PPE can ’ t be recycled ; it gets caught in the machinery used to sort recycled waste .
Because PPE can ’ t be recycled , we can estimate around 667.5 million disposable masks will be thrown away into landfills or littered in public spaces . In addition to being an eyesore , disposable masks are plastic . According to Thompson and Moore , plastics cause the spread of invasive species , low animal reproduction rates and sickly wildlife (“ Plastics … ”, 2009 ).
As many local outdoorsmen know , unhealthy , small animal populations mean more regulations on hunting and fishing . Because plastic pollution will be a bigger environmental concern after the pandemic ends , it is likely governments worldwide will place stricter pollution regulations on businesses . Harsher pollution regulations would affect
Letter to the Editor
As I was fortunate to be advisor of student council at River View for 31 years , I was elated to find out an Ohio Association of Student Council junior high state representative of that organization in 1971 was the campaign manager for Joe Biden in the 2020 election . This is not about me but about how leadership in school carries over in all of life .
I know of numerous examples of student council members over the years who became leaders in their communities and other aspects of their lives . Some were involved in college student government and sent notes to me about how student council led them to that involvement .
The junior high OASC state representative is
Jennifer O ’ Malley Dillon . She also has been appointed as deputy chief of staff at the White House . However , I won ’ t begin to name community leaders who were student council members for fear of leaving someone out in mentioning . Some have been PTO presidents or very active in school organizations . Others have been leaders in their college fields of study and as heads of charitable organizations .
River View was fortunate to have hosted three state conferences of OASC : 1969 , 1979 and
every company that uses plastic . Because most packaging is plastic , harsher pollution legislation would affect small businesses as well .
According to an article published by the BBC , many alternatives to plastic packaging end up creating more carbon-emission pollution and are at least twice as expensive for businesses , putting businesses and consumers in a sticky situation ( Gray , 2018 ).
There is good news . You can create positive change by choosing to wear reusable masks . Buying a locally produced cloth mask supports small businesses owned by our friends , family members and neighbors . Cloth masks also are much more fashionable , personable and customizable than disposable masks . Knowing
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YOUR who made your mask makes it just a smidge more bearable , and just throwing them in with the rest of your laundry can keep them as hygienic as when you first purchased them .
Masks also are criminally underrated as an accessory . Whether you want to make a political statement , a pun or show off your favorite animal , there ’ s a mask for you . With all the positive aspects of cloth masks , the qualities of disposable masks pale in comparison . We are fortunate enough to live in a close-knit community surrounded by the beauty of nature ; let ’ s support each other and our environment to keep it that way . Erin Wilson Warsaw
1994 . Over 600 student council members from all over Ohio arrived on a Thursday night and departed on Saturday afternoon . On Saturday delegates who wanted to be a state representative gave a prepared speech to the delegates , who then voted on the junior high and high school state representatives . These state representatives worked along with the adult OASC executive committee on programs for a year .
Further , I know of at least one U . S . president who also was a student council president , and that was John F . Kennedy . In school there are other leadership positions in classes and club officers . Outside of school there is 4-H and many other leadership opportunities . We never know what leadership experiences early on in life may lead to later . Many of us know River View seniors take on a community project . There are many other examples of such leadership and community involvement in the schools of Coshocton County . Martin Baumgardner Warsaw
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