Today our group visited two places, the Linnton Walking Tour with Sarah Taylor and the Brigham Fish Market. Our tour with Sarah was both very hopeful and sad. On our tour Sarah went over the history of Linnton and what’s being done now. Linnton was a small town that was eventually annexed by Portland. For a long time, it was a very close knit community that was home for many immigrant families. Unfortunately, several different industries, particularly McCormick and Baxter had bought up most of the land and converted it into a space for fossil fuel facilities. They set up massive facilities that pollute the river water sediment, which are devastating to the communities that live along the river as well as the surrounding ecosystem, such as the salmon. They have also lined the Linnton area with oil lines that run even through residential areas and schools. These facilities devalued the homes of many families, displacing them. Those who chose to stay were and currently still are being intimidated by these industries to move. Sarah talked about how on different occasions, people pointed welding guns at her and once dropped heavy metal at her feet. Thankfully, Sarah talked about how the remaining residents are fighting extremely hard to keep the land they have left and are advocating for environmental policies and politicians that seek to restore polluted areas and protect what we have left.
The two biggest things that were screaming in my head during this walk were industries and communities. Industries are responsible for the destruction of so much and on this walking tour I could see it first hand. I feel the awareness of the impact of and education on industries is incredibly lacking, especially at lower levels of schooling. Growing up, I was taught that climate change was mostly OUR fault, with things like carbon footprints. And while there’s no denying that we do have an impact, the devastation industries have created among the environment and communities is something I was not taught till my high school years. These industries have so much power and influence that it sometimes feels like there’s nothing we can do. But listening to Sarah had given me so much hope. Despite all the things Sarah and her community have been put through by fossil fuel industries, they are still fighting to keep their community and future communities safe. We had a chance to walk through different areas of the community, like this carpentry shop, and it was moving to see the worker and Sarah talking about keeping the building in the hands of the community.
Our visit to the Brigham fish market was very pleasant. It is not very often one gets to eat food caught locally, especially as local as just down the street. You could really taste the difference with the fresh, sustainable, locally caught fish compared to other establishments and grocery store products. I believe it really demonstrates the benefits to sustainable practices and how it not only enriches the environment but our own lives. – Brandon Pham