Screw You Honolulu, Keep Your Stupid Trash
I am proud to be from the state of Oregon — a state that despite its wacky political leanings, is very environmentally conscious. In fact, Oregonians recycle more than 50% of their waste. If that’s not tops in the country, it’s gotta be close.
So how is Oregon about to be rewarded for their environmental efforts?
By Hawaii planning to send its trash to Oregon to be recycled!!! Think about it, Oregon could become the land of beautiful forests, stunning mountains, awesome coastlines and 100% more trash from an island that isn’t putting its own resources to good use.
The Portland Tribune has a good editorial about this on their site, and they bring up some good points. I encourage you to read it — of particular interest is this part below.
The city of Honolulu, which is fast running out of space at its main landfill, has hatched a plan to send container ships full of garbage across the Pacific to the U.S. mainland. One option is to send garbage up the Columbia River to Rainer, where the contents would be transferred onto trucks or trains bound for the Columbia Ridge Landfill near Arlington in Eastern Oregon.
First off, it’s spelled Rainier, and secondly, I don’t want my hometown being polluted with pineapple rinds and rotten leis. On a grander scale, I don’t want my home state to deal with the trash of a people who don’t have the wherewithal to upgrade their own recycling system.
The good ending statement from the Trib sums up my feelings on the matter:
Hawaiians should not fall into a sense of complacency toward sustainability simply because they found a place far, far away to ship mountains of Hawaiian garbage. That’s just a quick fix. Oregonians likewise should offer no encouragement to any program that delays or sidetracks the evolution of a better environmental ethic — whether at home or 3,000 miles across the ocean.
So Hawaii, thanks but no thanks, screw you, have a nice day, keep your trash and fix your own problem.
3 Comments, Comment or Ping
Daniel Browning
I would love to have their garbage, but not in our beautiful Rainier! Send it up the river with the rest of Portland’s garbage to the Columbia Waste Landfill in Arlington. The waste barge is already traveling thousands of miles, what’s a few hundred more?
We’ve got 100,000 square miles, I’d be happy to part with even an entire square mile, or .0001% of it, in return for piles and piles of money.
Jun 25th, 2008
Chris
Dan–
Yeah it would go to the landfill in Arlington, but just the fact that so many of our communities involved in the transfer process would be severely affected brings so many negatives to the possibility.
I say throw it in the ocean…the ocean is big enough anyway :):):)
Jun 25th, 2008
Larry
What a dumb proposal!
Hawaii shipping their garbage to Oregon and we accepting it is pure nonsense! And the barge businesses suggesting they haul back the garbage is more nonsense. So Hawaii gets the goods and Oregon gets the spoils? The proposed 100,000 tons of garbage wrapped in plastic is supposed protect our environment. More nonsense. Who knows what kind of creepy crawly things could be let loose in Oregon’s environment.
The residents of Hawaii must be held accountable in figuring out their own garbage disposal plan. First of all they should find a way to cut back in manufacturing so much garbage. And let Disney, wanting to build a resort where said garbage is backing up, help pay for a modern disposal system.
If Hawaii folks are willing to dump their garbage in our beuatiful Oregon, then here are a few suggestions for them to consider:
1. Start filling up a few of those ubiquitous golf courses.
2. Or better yet, toss all the garbage into the path of Kilauea, nature’s ready-made incinerator.
3. The Haleakala Crater makes another fine dumping ground. Better there than here in Oregon!
Here we are entering into the age if environmental conciousness and folks continue to be mired in the Industrial way of thinking. That is, no matter the consequence it is OK to keep polluting the Earth. All for the sake of making a buck! And the real truth of the matter is buried in the rubbish!
Let’s say NO to Hawaii trash coming to our beautiful main land. We have enough environmental issues to contend with. And enough is enough damn it!
Jul 2nd, 2008
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