One person, no matter their age, can make a difference. Here are four examples of individuals who have helped to raise awareness about single-use straws and their impact on the environment. We salute them for their own contributions toward conservation and for the sparks of inspiration they have created around the world.
Milo Cress - Be Straw Free
In 2011, a curious 9-year-old made a simple observation and decided to take action. Milo Cress was at a restaurant with his family in Vermont. The waiter delivered their drinks to the table leaving a straw next to each glass. Most of the straws were never touched by the recipient. He wondered how many times this situation was repeated throughout the country and how many straws were wasted each day.
He went searching for an answer, but found none. He decided to research it himself. Lacking other data sources, he reached out to straw manufacturers to learn how many straws they produced annually. From there, he calculated an average daily rate of 500 million per day for the U.S.
While this statistic has been called into question by skeptics, they've yet to offer a more proven number with data to back it up. And more importantly, the number itself is not the point. How many straws do we use? The simple answer is: WAY TOO MANY.
Milo started a grassroots campaign in his community. He went to restaurants and asked them to make a simple change: offer a straw before leaving it. Businesses were onboard with this easy adjustment which would both help the environment and cut their supply costs.
Within two years, his campaign had gone nation-wide. The National Restaurant Association adopted his "Offer First" policy as a best practice standard. Ten years later, Milo's "Be Straw Free" campaign continues today which is now facilitated in partnership with Eco-Cycle.
Milo's focus on a simple way to reduce trash was important. It also helped to highlight the opportunities that could open up with a little data and awareness. There was definitely a need and opportunity for more of both.
Jeff Kirschner - Litterati
In 2012, Jeff Kirschner stumbled across some litter (no, really .. it was actually a tub of kitty litter) in the forest with his kids. This led to a conversation with his littles about caring for the environment and a renewed habit of picking up litter to leave a place better than you found it. Jeff realized the magnitude that could be achieved if everyone chipped in just a little effort. He wondered if it would be possible to crowdsource the work of cleaning up the environment.
This thought stuck with him as he returned to the city. Thinking about litter made it stand out even more for him. He started taking a picture of each piece as he cleaned it up, and he soon amassed a huge library of such photos. These weren't just pictures of trash, they were collections of data points that could show trends in types and locations of litter. It also served as reminders of the number of small but positive contributions he had made in his community.
He started posting the photos on Instagram, and others started to follow the trend. One day, a photo showed up in the feed of a piece of litter someone picked up at the Great Wall in China. Jeff realized just how far reaching this movement had become and how much more could be done.
The question that Milo Cress had raised the year before before could have been better answered if data like this was collected and cataloged. The type of trash, the brand/source, the location, the quantity, all this data could begin to paint a complete picture. It could help answer questions of why people litter which could lead to better prevention methods. It could help to hold brands more accountable for their products and their impact on the environment. It could help cities plan for better trash can locations or prioritize ways to help reduce litter.
Jeff founded Litterati, which offers a free app that you can use to log litter as you find it. It is quick and easy to use, and actually quite fun. It turns picking up trash into a sort of treasure hunting game. You can even form friendly competitions to motivate yourself and others to have a greater impact on the environment. Every time you log a piece of litter, you get to feel good about your efforts AND another set of data points gets logged to help tell the story and make an even greater difference.
As just one example, in his TED talk, Jeff mentioned a group of fifth graders who used the app as they cleaned up around their school. The data quickly pointed to the straws provided in their school cafeteria being the most prevalent type of litter. Having the data available allowed these students to make their case to the principal and have their cafeteria quit using single-use plastic straws.
With the gap being filled in the need for data around the litter problems, the movement needed a face to help spread the message further ... and it was about to get just that.
Dr. Christine Figgener - The Sea Turtle Biologist
In 2015, marine conservation biologist Christine Figgener was leading a research team in Costa Rica. While examining a sea turtle as part of their study, they noticed it was having difficulty breathing and had something lodged in its nostril. They tried to extract it, thinking it was some sort of parasite. Dr. Figgener recorded a video of the process and the reaction of the team when they realized that it was actually a plastic straw.
The video went viral and was watched by millions around the world. Here is a summary clip featuring Dr. Figgener with a brief retelling of what happened. If you want to ensure you never use another plastic straw, go search for the full video (be aware it is a bit graphic and contains some language that some may find offensive).
Dr. Figgener's video became the wake-up call many needed about single-use plastics ending up in the ocean. She became known as "The Sea Turtle Biologist", which provided her an amplifier for her voice of advocacy and for the fight against single-use plastics. She now is the Director of Science & Education at Footprint Foundation, which focusses on advocacy and education around removal and prevention of plastics in the environment.
Thankfully, the research team was able to remove the straw. They kept the turtle under observation to ensure it was ok, and then watched it swim away happily and able to breathe freely once again. He didn't realize it, but the turtle had just become an ambassador for all marine wildlife and the impacts of plastic straws.
Chloe Mei Espinosa - Skip The Plastic Straw
In 2018, sixth grade scuba diving enthusiast, Chloe Mei Espinosa saw Dr. Figgener's video and was both disturbed and inspired. She researched the topic of plastic straws and was astonished by the statistics she learned -- which are now readily available thanks to innovators like Milo Cress and Jeff Kirschner. She started her "Skip The Plastic Straw" campaign with a website she designed and a goal to get 500 individuals to pledge. She quickly achieved this goal and went on to convince at least 68 schools in California to quit using plastic straws on campus. She is continuing her campaign to more businesses, school districts, and hospital systems. Chloe has recently been honored with a number of awards for her contributions as an influencer and young hero thanks to her passion project.
You Can Also Make A Difference TODAY
Every single time you turn down an offer for a straw, you are making a difference. It may seem like a little item and tiny action, but it adds up exponentially across the country and world ... and you just might even save a life.
TL:DR Don't Be A Sucker
References
- The Be Straw Free Campaign (U.S. National Park Service). (2021). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/articles/straw-free.htm
- Update on the Be Straw Free Campaign (U.S. National Park Service). (2013). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/articles/be-straw-free-update.htm
- Bailey, K. (2017). Meet Milo, founder of Be Straw Free. Eco-Cycle. https://www.ecocycle.org/bestrawfree/about
- Litterati - Creating A Litter Free World | Litterati. (2021, September 29). Litterati - Creating a Litter Free World | Litterati. https://litterati.org/
- The Creativity Post | Why I started Litterati. (2013). The Creativity Post. https://www.creativitypost.com/article/why_i_started_litterati
- Marco della Cava. (2013, October 16). Change Agents: Jeff Kirschner’s litter-less world. USA TODAY; USATODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/16/change-agents-jeff-kirschner-litterati/2953709/
- TED. (2017). This app makes it fun to pick up litter | Jeff Kirschner [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://youtu.be/es4w3WUcrN0
- Creating A Little-Free World Through Litterati with Jeff Kirschner and Innovation As A System with Doug Hall. (2019, April 26). Diane Hamilton. https://drdianehamilton.com/creating-a-little-free-world-through-litterati-with-jeff-kirschner-and-innovation-as-a-system-with-doug-hall/
- About | Christine Figgener. (2015). Christine Figgener. https://www.seaturtlebiologist.com/about
- Christine Figgener - Footprint Foundation. (2021, April 13). Footprint Foundation. https://footprintusfoundation.org/christine-figgener/
- Plastic Straws | Skip the Plastic Straw | United States (2015). https://www.skiptheplasticstraw.com/
- Langhorne, D. (2018, May 9). Newport Coast 6th-grader campaigns to end use of plastic straws. Daily Pilot; Daily Pilot. https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-newport-coast-elementary-straws-20180509-story.html
Art Supplies
(These are the supplies I use and recommend from my experience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases):
- Strathmore Vision Mixed Media Pad
- Westcott Grid Ruler
- uni Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil 0.5mm
- uni 0.5mm pencil lead - B hardness
- Zebra Zensations Brush Pen, Super Fine
- Pentel Pocket Brush Limited Edition (Black Ink)
- Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen (White)
- Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser
- Strathmore Tracing Paper
- Computer & photo editor
Behind the Scenes
I'm experimenting more with digitizing my art. My sketches are hand drawn on paper with pencil, including all text and titles which are hand-lettered. I then transfer the finished design to tracing paper with marker, and scan it into digital format. From there, I clean up the scan so that just the black outline remains. I use layers under the main sketch to fill in colors, a sort of simplified, digital version of how original cartoon films were colored with celluloid. I'm very much a beginner in digital art, so I won't even mention how long this takes me as I work through the learning curve, but it is an enjoyable process.
Social Posts
What difference can one straw make? More than you might think. Full article with lots more info available at sketchimal.com. It highlights 4 eco-heroes and their stories related to reducing straw litter: Milo Cress of Be Straw Free, Jeff Kirschner of Litterati, Dr. Christine Figgener the Sea Turtle Biologist, and Chloe Mae Espinosa of Skip The Plastic Straw.
@milocress @litterati @seaturtlebiologist @itsmechloemae @ecocycle_zerowaste @footprintus.foundation @skiptheplasticstraw @wylandfoundation
#watercolorsketch #sketchbook #animalart #artforconservation #seaturtle #artforawareness #sciart #scicomm #freeforteachers #animalfacts #sciencecomics #skipthestraw #plasticfree #plasticpollution #cleanwater #noplastic