The anti-plastic straw campaign! Tom Brady jumps into the band wagon of celebrity campaigners! Is it worth all the pain and cry?
- The environmental campaign for banning the use of plastic straws has picked up pace due to the presence of cute animals and kids and the star power backing.
What is the anti-straw campaign?
The anti-straw campaign is a campaign against the use of plastic straws. It began with a video from 2015 which became viral.
In this video was shown an adorable sea turtle who had a straw stuck up its nose. This was the start of the outcry against the straws.
This was followed by the appearance of 9-year-old Milo Cress on the Be Straw Free campaign. There was also a claim made during this campaign that around 500 million straws are used per day in the USA alone.
This claim has now been busted. Soon, Molly Steer, 10 became the face of the Australian similar movement which was named Straw No More.
The arrival of celebrities such as Tom Brady on this campaign
Soon celebrities began jumping onto this bandwagon against the straws. First, it was actor Adrian Grenier who pushed for the bans on straws.
He has a foundation called Lonely Whale Foundation which also was part of this campaign. They were specifically asking for bans on these straws in Seattle and New York City.
Recently, he has been joined by Tom Brady who is New England Patriots quarterback and has been a five-time Superbowl champion.
Tom Brady made a video on World Environment Day on 5 June 2018 and uploaded it on his Instagram. In this, Tom can be seen brandishing two plastic straws.
He was heard saying:
“The effect of these little guys is posing a huge health risk to our planet.”
He further adds:
“Next time you see a plastic straw like this, say, ‘No, I’m not falling for your ruse, straw.'”
He has also put up another post on his Instagram which has asked British wildlife photographer David Yarrow and tennis star Serena Williams to come and join him in sucking less.
He writes:
“Thank you @gisele for tagging me in to #BeatPlasticPollution with @UNEnvironment! I’m out on single-use plastic straws, and I invite @serenawilliams, @fuckjerry, @davidyarrow and all of you to get in on the action as well! Make a video about what you are committing to do to #beatplasticpollution and tag 3 friends to do the same!”
The ‘distraction’ campaign
Plastics no doubt pose a grave threat to our oceans and water bodies. But this anti-straw campaign is a mere distraction from the real cause.
It just helps the politicians who want some new ideas to toy with and help them to be in power. They may just begin the senseless liberty-crushing bans on the public and such bans may actually be unfounded. It comes as no surprise that the campaign has yet not been backed by any scientific person!
It is well-known that Americans per se account for a small proportion of the plastic waste in the ocean and plastic straws are just a small bit of this plastic waste.
Based on the cleanups of the oceans carried out in Canada, the UK, and California, straws constitute only 2-4% of the beach litter by item. By weight, their contribution to ocean waste is even smaller.
Also, the contribution to the waste of the seas is negligible from the affluent nations, and more of the litter in the sea comes from the poorer nations such as East Asia.
The marine plastic pollution contribution is China-28%, Indonesia-10%, the Philippines and Vietnam-6% each, USA-less at 1%, and the UK and Europe-less at 2%.
So how do the bans on straws in the USA help solve the problem of plastic marine waste? Besides, straws are useful for people with disabilities. The campaign is all totally frivolous!
