Transition Town PDX: Plastic, by Will

February 12, 2020

Dr. Hingle McDonald of SOLVE, a non-profit organization whose mission it is to improve the environment and to build a legacy of stewardship, has begun an initiative to save Oregon from the rise of waste going into the ocean. They are transforming ocean trash into transportation fuel that can be used by engines also made by SOLVE.

Hingle is using trash to create a substitute to fossil fuels, an energy source known as TRASH. First, the waste is transferred to one of the many SOLVE factories along the Oregon coast. After the trash is transported there, it is sorted into various categories based on the kind of trash it is: plastic, food waste, paper, glass, aluminum, or tin. Third, it is shot with a high powered laser, eventually morphing it into a small substance made out of the same chemicals that is in fossil fuels. Then that is moved to a cleaning system which gives it the same consistency as liquid gas. Last, it is moved to the SOLVE gas stations where it is used to power new SOLVE cars.

This is a classic two-in-one scenario: it uses the trash that could be killing the world by transforming it into energy that is fueling our cars. Before McDonald did this, the ocean trash was slowly spreading all over the world, and we were running out of our fossil fuels that we rely so much on. SOLVE is saving thousands of marine mammal lives and countless dollars that we are now spending on ocean clean up.

SOLVE is the future. Now we must enter a new age of the world. A world that is totally green by reusing resources, not simply creating new plastic and throwing it into the ocean. Many are following Dr. Hingle McDonald's example.

2 comments:

AnonymousJanuary 15, 2014 at 4:02 PM
Aloha,
My name is Sara and I am a student at Punahou school.
I think we have a huge Fossil Fuel problem as well a a very large trash issue.
This is a great way to solve both global issues.
AnonymousJanuary 15, 2014 at 4:42 PM
Hi Will, my name is Kylie and I go to Punahou School. I learned that the organization SOLVE is trying to benefit the world and help the world become a better place. I think that transforming ocean trash into transportation fuel will be very beneficial in the future as well as now. I think that this blog is very helpful. An example of us being harmful is leaving trash at the beach because it is very harmful. It will do lots of damage if everybody does it. I think that this is a great way to solve global issues. Great job!