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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2012)
Art ulture aced@clackamas.edu Wednesday, May 2 , 2 0 12 The Clackamas Print j W ildm an suggests reusing plastic By Isaac Soper Arfs & Culture Editor Oil and food prices rise everyday. Soon, w ithout food stamps and gardening, the lower middle"class won’t be able to 'afford to drive to and from wo'fk. As the Earth becomes more and mtire -'polluted and people can no longer work or eat, corporations try to con vince the American popu lace that everything is going to be okay. . We can’t conceive o f life w ithout oil. In the age that we live in, no longer is wood or metal the basis for which things are manufac tured; oil is the medium in which all is created by man. O ur food is wrapped in it, our cars are built out o f it an d run on i t even our clothes are made with it. Most plastics are made with oil, and due to the non-stop increase in oil prices (which may rise sig nificantly, or lower slightly on an oil barons wnim), corporations have begun to try and convince us that we can lower oil prices and save the Earth by redesign ing the creation of plastic. By breaking down certain foods, namely corn; scien tists can create plastics. We have designed fuel that can be used in our automobiles out o f food as well; fuel that we used to use for our bodies, fuel that multitudes o f people are lacking world wide. Instead o f looking for more sustainable options for powering our cars, we continue to confirm our allegiance to the oil com panies by using their— now corn-based— gasoline and oil. Wow, we sure figured out the oil crisis on that one. Short on food and oil? Now you can drink the new corn-based gasoline and put it into your car— its got electrolytes! The disadvantages o f oil- powered cars can be eas ily seen, and yes, there are definite disadvantages to hybrid cars as well as fully electric cars. Why aren’t we looking into other sources o f fuel? Water-powered cars were first patented in 1935, using the properties of elec trolysis (separating hydro gen and oxygen from water molecules). N orm al plastic takes about 1,000 years to bio degrade, u n d er norm al conditions. W hen I say “normal conditions,” spe cific things come to mind, le ts say,- outside, and between 30 to 100 degrees F ahrenheit. R em em ber that. Biodegradable plas tic, which is com m only made out o f cornstarch or other plant-based materials, is used in many new dis posable utensils and water bottles. You are supposed to have a warm, fuzzy feel ing when you throw these bottles away. D id you know that if you put a “plant- bottle” in the ground, a tree will grow? Biodegradable plastic “under normal conditions” w ill,, at least according to the companies that manu- facture them, biodegrade in much less , time than regu lar plastics. “Normal con ditions” for biodegradable plastics differ from what you and I consider “nor mal.” “N orm al” to them means between ,140 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. T h at’s normal, for let’s say, the surface o f Mercury in the dead o f winter. Under the normal conditions o f Earth, they will biodegrade in about 999 years. Saving the planet one year, or let’s say, one starving child at a time. It can be assumed that the typical process o f recy cling plastics is a process that is harmful to the envi ronm ent. W hat about reus ing the plastics opposed to "recycling” and remanufac turing them? Many plastics,, especially containers, could simply be washed, sanitized and reused. Even germa- phobes (properly titled mysophobes) can use dishes that nave been sanitized. Instead o f wasting , food on creating new plastics and gasoline, it seems 4s though we could solve at least a few o f our environ mental problems by look ing at them from a different perspective. It we recycled plastics that are already created better and worked on making truly environ mentally friendly sources o f powering our vehicles, it would be a step in the right direction. Find more stories and photos from The P rin t at www.TheClackamasPrint.com The Portland Aerial Tram takes passengers from O H SU to the South Waterfront. This is one o f the stops oh the 4 T Trail that loops in Portland, starting at the Oregon Zao. x Trail explores Portland sights B y Brad H eineke Photo E ditor^ * 4 T = T + T W + T T he most elementary o f algebraic functions,' right? However in P ortland/4T = Trail + Tram Trolley’+Train. Portland’s 4T is’, a hike growing in poularity. It’s ah eight-mile loop that traverses some of the uhique highlights of the Rose City via die Southwest hills, with a great combination of nature and urban scenery.:’ It specifically includes a hike from the Oregon Zoo up the Marquam frail, ' to ! thè city’s'' highest point at Council Crest, then on j to three o f P-Town’s uhique modes o f transport: die Pordahd Aerial Tram, the Portland Street Car (trolley), and TriMet Max (train) back to a train tunnel then elevator to the zoo. There were great views o f the city, the Willamette, bridges and the Cascade Range.' Start the hike at the Oregon Zoo. Nearby is the Washington Park Max station, highlighted by Les AuCoin Plaza. Signage for the 4T hike was immediate ly visible. ¡Walk across thé over pass of Highway 26, turn left onto the shoulder o f the free way ón ramp, then down-about halfway to the well marked trailhead o f the Marquam trail. The trail hike portion covers three and -a half to four miles depending on the chosen route. It is very well marked at all trail crossings and provides reassur ance with helpful signage along the route. It took two and a half hours with many .brief photo stops. Hiking time could range from one and a halfoto .three hours depending on whether you take the urban route, Forest Trail or--combinations o f the two. I can’t imagine bypassing th e trail. It is a beau tifu l gem o f a forest filled, wjttft ferns, cam p u s. A b o u t 2 0 o f sig h tseein g Ja tg r m in u te s ;^at blooms, birds and a wide vari ety o f trees. The trails are' well groomed but can be muddy after rains. The trails and signs .will lead you across a couple "foa<feH until you have reached Council Crest' with its largfe lawn and circular observation area. It offers sweeping views including Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt- Adams and M t.. Jeffetson. Leaving irtth ed irectio n y o u came from leads to signs con tinuing out loop, back down the forest trail to the Marquam shelter, and Oregon Health Science University campus with its buildings, which are precari ously built inside a small can yon and its two flanking ridges is quite interesting. This is die longest suspended pedestrian bridge -in N orth America at 660 ft. It connects O HSU with the VA Hospital and with glass sides gives a thrilling view. Following the 4 T signs a few hundred yards brings you to the Peter Kohler Pavilion; which is the upper side of the Portland Aerial T ram .'If you h erit yet enjoyed the Tram, nls* loop .provides a great opportunity to experience this fun yet simple ride ahd city feature, w ith the Free ride down;, the $4 le e 4». only charged when riding up. The high suspended view has slight dips and lifts, asyou glide down 3,300 feet to the South Waterfront district, which are very interesting. The street car stops adjacent to the tram approximately every 15 minutes. Take it north bound for a cool ride along this waterfront area with its newer high rise condos. It then turns west up and through the PSU 10th and Yamhill which is the M ultnom ah Central Library stop? Pioneef C ourthouse Square Lryu^fc four blocks east from here. W hen ready to depart downtown and return to the Oregon Zoo, you will go orie block'north to Morrison, at which the Beaverton and Hillsboro' Maxdines run.' Board the Blue or Red line Max tow ard Beaverton or Hillsboro. After it stops at Jeld- Wen Field and Goose Hollow, it will soon enter the three mile long Robertson tunnel. Exit at the only stop in the tunnel, Washington Park. This is the deepest train station in N orth America. There is a great geo graphic timeline and a drilling core sample displayed here. You can take the elevator 260 ft. back up to the Oregon Zoo to ‘complete the eight-mile loop. It’s hard to beat the 4T for a fun and affordable day. Enjoy great scenery;- grand viewpoints, fun rides, and much more for as little as a $2.1.0 Max pass. There are detailed directions and loop maps online, but the excellent signage will truly lead your way. Name: 4T Trail Location: Portland (starts at the Oregon Zoo) Typ e: Groomed and marked trails Length: Eight miles Difficulty: Easy/ Moderate Equipm ent needed: Boots, water, money for max ride
