STRAWS ARE SUCKING LIFE AWAY

The compelling debate about the condition of our planet and where it’s headed is a central topic in current politics. Whether or not you believe climate change is happening, there is one simple fact that cannot be ignored: Mother Earth is insanely outnumbered.

There are more than seven billion of us on this one planet. Who knows, with the way science is progressing, mankind might have colonies on Mars in the future. But as of right now, this is it, guys. If we do not make positive changes, we will be facing serious backlash. 

I know what you are thinking: How can you personally make a difference? Does it really matter what you do to make change if no one else is doing it? Well yes, it does. When you go the extra mile others will take notice.

An example of this statement in action is the movement to reduce the amount of straws we use in the U.S. every year.

According to the National Park Service, Americans use an average of 500 million straws daily. Upon hearing how many plastic straws we use as a culture, some companies responded, and moved toward organizations like the Be Straw Free Campaign. While some citizens, restaurants, and city governments alike moved to use less straws, others tossed the notion aside. Applebee’s in Gresham, for example, puts a new straw in every drink its servers bring to the table. The straws are already unwrapped, so regardless of whether customers use it or not, it is wasted. 

The most common argument against the movement to reduce straw pollution is that refusing to use a straw won’t really make a difference. It is true that the sole cause of environmental trauma is not the use of a plastic straw. As a whole, people on this planet discard single-use plastics in many different forms than straws every day. We also consume meat en masse, a process which has proven to be harmful for the ozone. Not many people eat a local meal every day, which would definitely cut down on oil and gas used to import/export food. These are just a few examples of the many ways in which we harm the planet as human beings.

However, to say that it wouldn’t make a difference at all to stop using plastic straws is simply untrue. We have to start somewhere. The Environmental Protection Agency states on its website that “the best way to reduce waste is to not create it in the first place.” Think about how many times per week you go out to a restaurant to eat and use a plastic straw. It adds up. 

If you are willing and able, forgo the plastic straw. It is a simple way to lead by example and put drops in the bucket toward having less pollution in our water sources. There are so many more simple things you can do to reduce waste in your daily life, too!

 Use a ‘for here’ mug at coffee shops and repurpose plastic bags or ditch them altogether. Recycle the sleeve on your hot coffee! Consider adding used clothing to your wardrobe. Did you know it can take up to 2,700 liters of water to make one T-shirt? You can read more about water usage in the making of clothes on the World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s website.  

Speaking of reading more about these topics, do some mild research. Read those articles you scroll past on social media that discuss our planet’s condition. If you come across a statement that you are uncertain of, fact check it! No one is telling you to take everything at face value. Stay up-to-date and fully informed on environmental policy and movements.

Once you have formed you own opinions on all of these topics, get involved, advocate, and contact your elected representatives. This is our planet and we all get a say in its treatment and care.