Isn’t it laughable how, in this grand scheme of significant issues, Joe Biden is fussing over plastic straws? Yes, you heard it right. This president decided that plastic straws were deserving of their significant moment within the executive order drama, casting aside the observably growing global pollution concerns. It’s quite a sight to witness him weakly advocating for the use of plastic straws, stating their utility over paper ones.
The executive order, Biden’s latest contribution to environmental discourse, proudly proclaims paper straws as inefficient and short-lived. While the rest of the world is wrestling with the devastating impacts of pollution, our president seems content focusing on the trivialities. It’s as though straws, out of all pressing topics, are the critical battle to be won.
Biden audaciously justifies plastic’s continued use, despite overwhelming evidence pointing to their detrimental effects on marine life. If we needed a straightforward example of an out-of-touch leader, the president has graciously provided it himself. Plastic straws, which have been linked to polluting oceans and threatening our maritime friends, are apparently ‘OK’ to use.
A global tide began turning against plastic straws in 2015 after a distressing video of a scientist removing a plastic straw from a turtle’s nose drew universal condemnation. Yet, Biden finds himself oblivious, or possibly indifferent, to such distressing imagery. His leadership refuses to recognize the broader fight against single-use plastics that cities like Seattle and countries like Vanuatu have championed since 2018.
It’s clear Biden’s inability to see beyond straw length has him missing the broader environmental issue. Consider this: 390 million plastic straws get used and quickly discarded in the U.S. daily, according to Turtle Island Restoration Network. This nation’s beaches and waterways become litter-cluttered, and marine creatures often mistake these pollutants for food. The environmental damage due to such negligence seems unimportant to him.
The staggering longevity of plastic straws in our environment, taking no less than 200 years to decompose, is conveniently ignored. As they break down into microplastics, almost invisible to the naked eye, they don’t simply disappear. Instead, these tiny fragments become an insidious invisible threat, pervading a wide range of body tissues.
Research on the health impacts of microplastics is still in early stages; however, potential links to heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and dementia profoundly worry many experts. While Biden busies himself with promoting plastic straws, the delicate research needed to untangle the microplastic conundrum continues without presidential attention.
The Biden-signed executive order patronizingly presents paper straws as hazardous to human health due to certain chemicals and expensive to manufacture. However, this dismissive attitude conveniently overlooks the notable presence of forever chemicals, or PFAS, found not just in paper straws, but bamboo, glass, and indeed plastic straws too. However, it seems the simplest solution of not using straws is ignored.
While Biden flounders in plastic-straw advocacy, countless states and cities have moved towards meaningful action by banning plastic straws. Some restaurants only provide straws when requested. Various plastic products, including straws, were likely to be phased out of federal operations by 2035 through decisions made by the previous administration.
These previous strides were a formal recognition by the federal government of the severity of the plastic pollution crisis. It was an admission that a considerably proactive approach was required to confront this massive issue. Yet, Biden saw it fit to rewind the tape on progress, essentially flipping these acknowledgments on their head.
Biden’s executive order came a few months before global negotiators convened to finalize a treaty aimed at addressing the plastic pollution crisis. Despite failing to reach an agreement last year, talks will continue in the present. Notably, under the earlier administration, the U.S. initially adopted an industrial-friendly stance.
Eventually, the U.S. changed its position, opting to support the inclusion of plastic production regulation in the ongoing treaty. The world seeks a robust treaty that not just cleans up existing pollution and encourages recycling, but also limits plastic production overall. Yet, Biden’s recent dedication to the preservation of plastic straws leaves much to be desired.
Each year the world churns out over 400 million tons of new plastic, with packaging consuming almost half. Single-use plastic items like water bottles, straws, and shopping bags litter our environment in alarming quantities. As nations strive to curtail fossil fuels, companies are eyes plastic as a potential growth market. Yet, in all this complex debate, our president is worried about the longevity of his drink’s straw. The scenario speaks for itself.