Our Environmentalism Has to Be Intersectional
In defense of plastic straws
The UK recently began talks to ban plastic straws. Starbucks banned them outright. An admirable feat. Environmentalists everywhere celebrated. I celebrated even.
At least at first.
After a conversation with a close friend, she brought to light the fact that plastic straws were originally invented for hospital use. It was a sanitary, safe, accommodating way for patients to drink liquids.
As plastic straws spread in use, it moved to the realm of able-bodied people. We grew to rely on them, and forgot their original use was that of accessibility.
If we want our environmentalism to be intersectional, we cannot erase the needs of an entire community.
Yes, Some People Need Plastic Straws
Hi, you, yes, you! I know this can be upsetting to hear. Before stopping here and commenting, please read the “On Alternatives — Why They Aren’t True Alternatives” section just below!
In this video, she explains how due to cerebral palsy, she requires straws—plastic straws—to drink. Why plastic? Paper straws cannot tolerate high temps and are a choking hazard. Silicone is not positionable, is costly and requires a certain amount of dexterity to clean.
NPR wrote an excellent article on the intersection between disability and environmentalism. Here’s an excerpt.
It was a hot day at the zoo when Jordan Carlson’s son, who has motor-planning delays, got thirsty. “We went to the snack bar and found out they had a ‘no straw’ policy,” Carlson says. “It was a hot day and he couldn’t drink.”
But what about silicone/pasta/PLAs/bamboo/metal/etc.??? I can already hear you scream. Well, lucky for you, that is up next.
On Alternatives—Why They Aren’t True Alternatives
NOTE: Please read this WHOLE section before commenting. I have seen innumerable arguments where the responder did not read and listen to the WHOLE of the discussion on “alternatives”. I will be deleting comments the reiterate something that is already answered in one or more of these sections!
This section is best understood, through a series of image dumps that explain what I’ve been trying to say more succinctly.
But what about bioplastic?
It’s a lot to take in. I certainly wrestled with it all for awhile. Listen first, respond later, then listen again. This issue is complex.
I would like to highlight something they said. “Punishing disabled people who need plastic straws to live will have very little impact on the environment but looking into creating a more viable and ACCESSIBLE alternative to single use plastic and placing greater regulations on business that are polluting the earth on a much larger, much more dangerous scale sure would!”
But more on that second half in a bit.
“The Disabled Tax”
Feminists talk a lot about the Pink Tax—the fact that, just to “sanitarily” exist as a woman, we have to buy pads, tampons, the like. Naysayers will respond with “just buy it”, to which, of course, we naturally get very upset. In the bodyposi movement, there is pushback on what is called The Fat Tax—a higher price for plus sized clothing.
Quite interestingly enough, just today, I saw a self-proclaimed feminist tell a disabled person that she should “just buy a reusable straw”. Even despite all that I said earlier about the alternatives not being real alternatives, she was quite literally doing what those naysayers were saying to her.
If you oppose the Pink Tax and the Fat Tax, you cannot then advocate for imposing a Disabled Tax. The “medicapitalist machine” is already hard at working making medical care skyrocket and bleeding dry a whole community. People with disabilities should not have to pay for straws. Period. End of discussion.
What about asking for them?
While asking is certainly a nice idea, it creates another barrier. We constantly see the accessibility needs of disabled people denied—despite the laws in place! And as we saw with the example of the Carlson’s son, he was denied a straw. They had to leave the park to go find one so he wouldn’t get dehydrated.
In conclusion
There is nothing wrong with not wanting to use single-use straws. But we need to exercise caution before we make sweeping statements that exclude people with disabilities.
From NPR:
“Disabled people have to find ways to navigate through the world because they know it was not made for us,” says Lei Wiley-Mydske, an autism activist who has autism herself. “If someone says, ‘This does not work for me,’ it’s because they’ve tried everything else.”
If you can, by all means get a reusable straw, I know I will. But let’s not shame those who can’t. Let’s believe disabled people. Let us fight for accessibility in our activism.
As food for thought, I’ll end with this article:
