CityBeat: Going Green(er): Cincinnati researchers are focusing on the climate challenges that intimately affect residents
UC expert says the human health perspective is important when studying climate change
Cincinnati is one of 23 metro areas across North America that have publicly committed to reducing energy consumption, water use and transportation emissions by at least 50% before scientists say it’s too late. In a story published by CityBeat, Susan Pinney, PhD, of the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences and director of the UC Center for Environmental Genetics, talked about some of the research she and her colleagues are doing in the area of environmental issues. She told CityBeat that a human health perspective is important when studying climate change.
Cincinnati faces a number of climate challenges, Pinney says, adding that addressing how these issues affect residents’ health is crucial for the researchers at the Center for Environmental Genetics. She says there are two significant weather events exacerbated by climate change on her radar: floods and tornadoes.
Susan Pinney, PhD, of the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences/Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Marketing + Brand
“Floods can actually stir up waste deposits along the river, and we especially worry about the Ohio River. Floods can also cause mold in homes, which is a huge health problem,” Pinney says, noting that with the high traction brought in by activities like boating and kayaking, it’s imperative for the Ohio River to be safe.
After experiencing a flooding disaster in her own home in New Richmond, Pinney says she understands first-hand how time-consuming and costly it can be to repair a flooded home and actually rid it of all debris, from the carpet to the walls.
“People who don’t have a whole lot of resources can’t do that. Although the visible mold may be gone, there is mold that is invisible and they’re living with that the rest of their lives and the health effects of that,” Pinney says, adding that her team at UC is working to change that.
Pinney’s department is able to carry out its mission through its partnership with the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, which provides necessary funding.
”It’s money to improve our capacity to do research, by improving our labs, by improving the expertise of our scientists, by encouraging young faculty, giving them some salary support so they can build their research program.”
Pinney notes the department’s recent work on air pollution.
“We’ve got around the problem of school buses idling while they’re waiting to pick up kids – that’s an example of something that research drove the change and then members of the general public insisted on the change, and so that’s made a substantial change in exposures to kids.”
Lead photo/Cincinnati Enquirer
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's graduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
2021 University Recognition Ceremony honors student achievements
April 13, 2021
The University of Cincinnati recognizes students each year who have made significant service, leadership, and academic contributions to the UC community. These students exemplify the spirit of what it means to be a Bearcat.
UC Day of Giving a success
April 28, 2021
University of Cincinnati Day of Giving’s 24-hour challenge was a tremendous success this year, raising $2,219,197 with 3,232 gifts. The fourth annual UC Day of Giving raised its most money to date with alumni, donors, students, faculty and staff joining together to support UC and UC Health.
President picks exceptional talent
April 28, 2021
The University of Cincinnati 2021 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence Awards honor six undergraduate scholars for scholarship, leadership, character, service and the ideals of the university. Awardees are spotlighted for exceptional academics, creativity, community service and innovation.
Grad students earn president's highest honor
April 28, 2021
The University of Cincinnati 2021 Presidential Medal of Graduate Student Excellence Awards honor three graduate scholars for scholarship, leadership, character, service and the ideals of the university. Awardees are spotlighted for exceptional academics, creativity, community service and innovation.
Faculty Awards 2021: Kenneth Sherman
April 8, 2021
Kenneth E. Sherman, MD, PhD, is Gould Professor of Medicine and Director of the UC Division of Digestive Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine. He is this year recipient of the University of Cincinnati Distinguished Research Professor Award.
UC student leads effort to clean up campus adjacent Coy Field
April 7, 2021
Karthikeyan Sakthivel, a senior medical sciences undergraduate at the University of Cincinnati, has adopted Coy Field in an attempt to keep the green space clean and ready for use by UC students, area high schoolers and the community. Sakthivel is planning another cleanup event for Coy Field, which is adjacent to the university campus.
The making of a successful Faculty & Staff Campaign
May 25, 2021
More than one-third of UC’s nearly 7,000 faculty and staff have already contributed to the 2020-21 Faculty & Staff Campaign, putting the goal of 45% within reach.
Three additional days off for UC employees
July 14, 2021
President Neville G. Pinto announced that UC employees will receive three additional days off in 2021 for going 'above and beyond' during the pandemic. The time away will take place during Winter Season Days.
GIVEHOPE and BSI Engineering Celebrate Ten Years of Driving Research
August 3, 2021
Years after two personal losses from pancreatic cancer, Cincinnati-based nonprofit GIVEHOPE and consulting firm BSI Engineering are celebrating a philanthropic partnership that has funded 13 pilot research projects at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center.
Finding community and building a future
July 9, 2021
As a University of Cincinnati College of Medicine student, Sarah Appeadu, MD, ’21, remembers journaling on the “3 Cs” that got her through medical school: Community, community, community. Now, when she lists the people who supported her through four years of training—the last year in a global pandemic—it keeps growing: her family, her church, her classmates, and the college’s Office of Student Affairs and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “I look back and it was such a crucial time to really be nurtured in that way,” she says. “I’m so thankful that I had those people. It shows being around the right people really mattered. That’s my same hope for residency even.”