When a person is voting on policy, it is the person's responsibility to be well informed of the consequences of the policy. In this case, a basic knowledge of chemistry is necessary for the person to make an informed decision on the advantages and disadvantages of incineration.
Some of the advantages of this system are:
- The contributions to air pollution seem to be marginal.
- Incinerators can produce energy through heat, which could replace at least a percentage of the energy produced by fossil fuels.
- Incineration of municipal solid waste avoids the release of methane.
Some of the disadvantages are:
- The creation of toxic waste such as heavy metals and toxic fly ash that could affect nearby populations.
- Emission control has to be implemented, which would add to the initial cost.
- Incineration could contribute to the decline of reducing or recycling, which is preferable for the environment.
Someone with knowledge of chemistry could make similar arguments, and therefore make a useful contribution to the decision-making process.