Hudson Valley Town Considers Going Straw-Free
I wouldn't in any way consider myself a "traditionalist." In fact, in most ways, I annoy everyone for having my own insane, bizarre way of thinking or doing things. But I do love me some good ol' Americana. For specifics on how much I love old-time American things, refer here.
So, to me, there's something that I love about drinking from a straw. Maybe that's incredibly silly, but I think there's something very American about hanging out with a Big Gulp or sitting at a diner with a straw in a soda. It's like something out of Happy Days or something. I feel like I'm at the soda fountain with Buddy Holly on in the background.
But one Hudson Valley town, Marbletown in Ulster County, is considering whether or not the environmental impact of straw use is worth trying to curb. According to Time-Warner news:
The Town Board is considering a resolution that would require food establishments to offer first before automatically handing out single-use plastic straws.
The town's Environmental Conservation Commission said 500 million single-use straws are used every day in the United States and go straight to a landfill.
All right, so maybe my need to feel like Fonzie isn't exactly more important than the destruction of the planet and decimation of my grandkids' future... so maybe I just won't have grandkids and not worry about it. You can have my straws when you pry them out of my cold, dead--but well-hydrated--hands.
Anyway, what do you think? Worthwhile endeavor? Silly? Ineffective?