To fight climate change, we have to stop clutching at straws

Sharing her “green tips” on Twitter, the writer said she gave away a bunch of plastic disposable pens and replaced them with a fountain pen and an ink pot.
Sharing her “green tips” on Twitter, the writer said she gave away a bunch of plastic disposable pens and replaced them with a fountain pen and an ink pot. PHOTO: GOURI MIRPURI
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I don't get it, this whole obsession with plastic drinking straws.

Yes, straws are an issue, making up between 0.025 per cent and 4 per cent of ocean plastics, depending on who is counting. And yes, we know how plastic is killing coral and fish while microplastics have ominously found their way into our food and water systems.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on February 16, 2020, with the headline To fight climate change, we have to stop clutching at straws. Subscribe