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STRAWS AND ECO-ABLEISM (ECO-WHAT-ISM?)

6/15/2019

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"Eco-ableism is simply a form of ableism, or discrimination in favor of able-bodied people. The “eco” comes from environmental activists who, through attempting to save the environment, don’t do so that takes into account those with less privilege than them." -Eco Warrior Princess
The subject of single use plastic bans and in particular straw bans start conversations that can go in many directions.  One of the reasons I want to  talk about single use plastic straws instead of the general single use plastic is because of what happened when the first straw bans started trending. The conversation and the controversy that started was, I think and hope, an important turning point in environmental activism. It was time to take a few steps back and put extra thought into plastic bans, not all, just some.
We all know the facts about why single use plastic straws are bad and you might even be getting overwhelmed by the constant reminders because it has become the big current trend. We have all seen plenty of heartbreaking videos and photos of various wildlife (the turtle video https://youtu.be/4wH878t78bw WARNING: this is a hard one to watch) being impacted by straws or beaches and bodies of water covered in plastic.
Here are a few of the iconic images that have shocked us all into making changes:
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Facts about single use plastic straws:
  • Straws are NOT recyclable.
  • A fact, verified or not. "Americans use more than 500 million drinking straws daily, enough to fill 125 school buses." Yes, you read that right, DAILY! Read about this and the 9 year old who created this widely used number and why he did it. The why he did it is very important.  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/07/18/anti-straw-movement-based-unverified-statistic-500-million-day/750563002/
  • Plastic straws can take up to 200 years to break down. They don't actually decompose, they just break down into smaller pieces.
I am always fascinated about how trends start. Why the single use plastic straw ban over some of the other important issues we need to take into consideration to help protect the planet and reduce the amount of plastics ending up in our oceans? As some say, straws were the low hanging fruit in the world of environmental activism. They are visible, abundant, and, so they thought, would be an easy success story in the war on plastic. Celebrities and big corporations have a big impact. The Lonely Whale Foundation (with the awesome Adrian Grenier as a co-founder) started the "Strawless Seattle" and #StopSucking campaigns. For more information about Lonely Whale go to:  https://www.lonelywhale.org/.
And then there is Starbucks plan to eliminate plastic straws by replacing them with a plastic sippy cup style lid. Although, the lid might be recyclable, it is replacing one piece of needed plastic with a larger amount of plastic that doesn't cover the needs of many people.  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/09/business/starbucks-plastic-straws.html
One of the other reasons why straw bans have been trending is because they became controversial and for a very good reason. The first drafts of bans did not take into consideration that straws save lives, they were an outright ban with no exceptions to the rule. Let me repeat this, STRAWS SAVE LIVES. And this is where the conversation turns to something that doesn’t get much coverage, a term called “eco-ableism”. This phrase has become a part of my life as I have been transitioning to a low waste lifestyle but also in the past year have had to adjust to a body that is no longer able to do the things I use to because of a disability. And although my disability has nothing to do with using or not using a straw, my empathy towards living with a disability that makes daily tasks harder for many people has gone through the roof in the past year. I wanted to use the trending straw bans as a way to introduce the idea of eco-ableism. It really needs its own discussion, but for now we are just talking straws. In my research I have found many discussions on the subject that I would like to share with you.
Here is a link to a great article about the general idea of eco-ableism and why it needs to be considered when talking about environmental activism.
https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2018/08/eco-ableism-what-it-is-why-it-matters-how-affects-disabled-people/
I liked this podcast because she talked about the importance of single use plastic bans like bags but gave very good reasons why the beginning versions of the plastic straw bans needed more consideration. https://rudermanfoundation.org/podcast/episode-1/ 

And more articles about straw bans and disabilities.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/07/11/627773979/why-people-with-disabilities-want-bans-on-plastic-straws-to-be-more-flexible
Reviews on a variety of reusable straws.
https://themighty.com/2018/05/review-reusable-drinking-straws-disability/
Playing the guilt game. Yes, there needs to be less single use straws in this world. No, you don’t need to give someone a reason why you are asking for a straw. And, no, you don’t need to feel guilty about using a single use plastic straw. I keep seeing this meme trending and I absolutely hate it. Nobody deserves this guilt trip.
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One of the strongest ways to reduce single use plastic straw use is for corporations and businesses to take action on their own to reduce use. A simple policy change of only providing a straw when requested, no questions asked, will do the trick.
Ending on a lighter but still honest note:
Have you been affected by eco-ableism? What is your favorite type of reusable straw to use? Tell us in the comments! Mine is glass because of the variety of sizes and it doesn't change the taste of the drink. But, I am thinking silicone would also be a great option because of it's bendability and ease of cleaning and sanitizing.
Want to know more about our glass straw collection? Here is a video from our partners at Strawesome:
If you want to make the switch to reusable straws here is our selection. They make great gifts!

GLASS STRAWS

$10.00 - $11.00
Shop

SKINNY GLASS STRAWS

$10.00 - $13.00
Shop

DOTS GLASS STRAWS

$13.00
Shop

ENCHANTED GLASS STRAWS

$13.00
Shop

STRAW CLEANING BRUSH

$3.00
Shop
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EARTH MONTH

4/11/2019

1 Comment

 

EARTH DAY IS APRIL 22ND!
But in my world we celebrate EARTH MONTH!


“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
—Jane Goodall


Here is a list of a few awesome things you can do to celebrate EARTH MONTH:
-Rally to protect our wild salmon on April 11 at Homer High School. Learn about Save Bristol Bay here.
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-When you head out to your local theater to watch cat videos bring your own popcorn bowl, straw, and napkin. I haven’t found my alternative to the soda cup yet.
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-Gather your electronics for the Electronics Recycling event in May.
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-Plan/plant a garden to grow your own food. Learn about the foods you can gather in the wild, fiddle heads are my favorite and it is almost time for them to come up. Or if you are like me, shop the Homer Farmers Market for all your produce this summer. EAT LOCAL!
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Fiddleheads!
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Maybe growing my own food is not an option for me!
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Support your local farmers
-Start tracking your trash. Also, examine your trash to discover a repetitive item that you might be able to find a reusable or recyclable alternative to. Do the same with your recyclables, maybe you can find a reusable alternative to cut back on your recycling. This is what I am starting this month. I hung a trash calendar above my trash can to mark the days I take out the trash. In the future I plan to start weighing it and take pictures of what I am throwing out, this will keep me more accountable for what I put in the ground.  And for the record, this includes business, personal, and street/beach trash.
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-Reduce your mail and packaging waste. Switch to electronic billing and receipts. Reduce your junk mail. Check out Rid Junk Mail for tips to reduce your junk mail. Contact manufacturers of some of your regular purchases to suggest alternative packaging. You would be surprised how well this works!
-Cut back on your driving. Try to have at least one day of no driving or consolidate your errands to reduce your trips around town. This really varies for me, some weeks I can do one day, others two days, but I always try to take care of my errands in the mornings so I am only driving one time during the day. Of course it helps to live only tens steps away from the store!
-Appreciate and learn about your natural surroundings. Take a walk on the beach or in the woods. Find something you have never seen before and do a little research to learn more about it.
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-Reduce your meat consumption by one day.
-Trash pick up. Pick up one piece of trash a day. Plan with a group of friends to participate in Homer’s Clean Up day, La Baleine Cafe’s new weekly clean up day, or Alaskan Ocean Cleanup Crew ongoing beach clean ups. Grab a buddy and organize your own clean up event!
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-Participate in local Earth Day events. Islands and Ocean Visitor Center will be the hub for a variety of events in Homer. Check back with Kachemak Bay Conservation Society for more details.
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BONUS TIP:
SHOP LOCAL, SHOP SMALL, SHOP CONSCIOUSLY, SHOP SUSTAINABLE WARES!
EASY PEASY!

SHOP NOW


“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
—Margaret Mead

“The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.”
—Ernest Hemingway

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    Author: Karen West

    Exploring the world of sustainability.

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