Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs
They’re grasping for straws.
Devout paper straw enthusiasts are speaking out as public opinion about the environmentally friendly sipper shifts to favor plastic.
Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to reverse former President Joe Biden’s plastic straw ban — and eco-conscious zealots aren’t happy.
“I was just in complete panic,” Karrie Laughton, the co-owner of Roc Paper Straws, told the Wall Street Journal, referring to the day she heard Trump’s remarks.
But she’s no sucker.
Laughton spends a few nights every week hitting back at critics on social media who advocate for plastic, informing haters that the flimsy paper straws are likely made in other countries, whereas hers claim to last 24 hours.
“It’s exhausting,” the Rochester business owner said, adding that the executive order hasn’t hurt business but she has noticed an uptick in anti-paper straw discourse online.
“I didn’t think I’d have to fight so hard for a straw, but I’ll keep fighting.”
While plastic was villainized as a threat to wildlife and oceans, the nature of the paper alternative — which disintegrates with prolonged contact with a beverage or breaks and tears too easily — was the last straw.
“These things don’t work,” Trump said of paper straws while signing the executive order. “I’ve had them many times. On occasion they break, they explode.”
Even Jon Stewart, the host of “The Daily Show,” agreed, according to The Journal, saying Trump was “right” and calling paper straws “f—ing terrible.”
Meanwhile, New Yorker Charlie Greenman told The Journal that he likes the feeling of drinking through paper, saying it “has more bite to it.”
In fact, the software company founder doesn’t mind how quickly the paper dissolves, saying it acts like a “countdown timer” for how quickly he has to finish his meal.
“It’s almost like this symbol of division,” Laughton said. “People get really fired up about straws.”
According to The Journal, the crusade against plastic began a decade ago when a viral video showed a sea turtle with a straw stuck in its nose. Shortly after, cities began to reduce the use of plastic straws, either swapping them for an eco-friendly alternative or holding the plastic sippers behind the counter to be available by request only.
Plastic straws, which do not disintegrate, do pose a threat to the environment, per The Journal. Instead, it merely becomes smaller pieces that are easily ingested by wildlife, either inflicting harm on animals or making its way into humans’ food and bodies.
But paper is not necessarily an adequate alternative, according to North Carolina resident Michael Smith. He called it “a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.”
“They are less damaging to the environment,” the 33-year-old told The Journal. “But less is not none.”
A study published in 2023 suggested that paper straws could also contain toxic PFAs, or “forever chemicals.”
Smith’s solution? Skip the straw altogether.
“I do my absolute best to not use them unless I really need to,” he said.
