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California Considers $1,000 Fine for Waiters Offering Unsolicited Plastic Straws


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2018 Jan 25, 10:41am   13,993 views  52 comments

by zzyzzx   ➕follow (9)   💰tip   ignore  

http://reason.com/blog/2018/01/25/california-bill-would-criminalize-restau

Ian Calderon wants restaurateurs to think long and hard before giving you a straw.

Calderon, the Democratic majority leader in California's lower house, has introduced a bill to stop sit-down restaurants from offering customers straws with their beverages unless they specifically request one. Under Calderon's law, a waiter who serves a drink with an unrequested straw in it would face up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

"We need to create awareness around the issue of one-time use plastic straws and its detrimental effects on our landfills, waterways, and oceans," Calderon explained in a press release.

This isn't just Calderon's crusade. The California cities of San Luis Obispo and Davis both passed straws-on-request laws last year, and Manhattan Beach maintains a prohibition on all disposable plastics. And up in Seattle, food service businesses won't be allowed to offer plastic straws or utensils as of July.

The Los Angeles Times has gotten behind the movement, endorsing straws-on-request policies in an editorial that also warned that "repetitive sucking may cause or exacerbate wrinkles on the lips or around the mouth." Celebrity astronomer Neil DeGrasse Tyson (always up for a little chiding) and Entourage star Adrian Grenier have appeared in videos where an octopus slaps them in the face for using a plastic straw.

The actual number of straws being used is unclear. Calderon, along with news outlets writing about this issue—from CNN to the San Francisco Chronicle—unfailingly state that Americans use 500 million plastic straws a day, many of them ending up in waterways and oceans. The 500 million figure is often attributed to the National Park Service; it in turn got it from the recycling company Eco-Cycle.

Eco-Cycle is unable to provide any data to back up this number, telling Reason that it was relying on the research of one Milo Cress. Cress—whose Be Straw Free Campaign is hosted on Eco-Cycle's website—tells Reason that he arrived at the 500 million straws a day figure from phone surveys he conducted of straw manufacturers in 2011, when he was just 9 years old.

Cress, who is now 16, says that the National Restaurant Association has endorsed his estimates in private correspondence. This may well be true, but the only references to the 500 million figure on the association's website again points back to the work done by Cress.

More important than how many straws Americans use each day is how many wind up in waterways. We don't know that figure either. The closest we have is the number of straws collected by the California Costal Commission during its annual Coastal Cleanup Day: a total of 835,425 straws and stirrers since 1988, or about 4.1 percent of debris collected.

Squishy moderates on the straw issue have pushed paper straws, which come compostable at only eight times the price. Eco-Cycle skews a bit more radical, with their "Be Straw Free" campaign—sponsored in part by reusable straw makers—that urges the adoption of glass or steel straws. Because we all know how good steel smelting is for the environment.

In any case, criminalizing unsolicited straws seems like a rather heavy-handed approach to the problem, especially since we don't actually know how big a problem it is. But don't take my word for that. Ask Milo Cress.

"If people are forced not to use straws, then they won't necessarily see that it's for the environment," he tells Reason. "They'll just think it's just another inconvenience imposed on them by government."

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15   anonymous   2018 Jan 29, 9:23pm  

Ian Calderon you are the dumbest worthless FUCK on the complete planet earth, no wait universe!!! Your STUPID ASS NEEDS TO BE OUT OF OFFICE YOU WORTHLESS WASTE OF SPACE AND VALUABLE AIR YOU FUCK!!!!
16   RWSGFY   2018 Jun 21, 7:25pm  

anonymous says
Ian Calderon you are the dumbest worthless FUCK on the complete planet earth, no wait universe!!! Your STUPID ASS NEEDS TO BE OUT OF OFFICE YOU WORTHLESS WASTE OF SPACE AND VALUABLE AIR YOU FUCK!!!!


Amen.
17   MisdemeanorRebel   2018 Jun 21, 7:36pm  

How about enforcing the noise laws, the rooster laws, etc.?
18   MisterLefty   2018 Jun 22, 4:06am  

Only good service when needing to do lines.
19   marcus   2018 Jun 24, 5:47pm  

zzyzzx says
"If people are forced not to use straws, then they won't necessarily see that it's for the environment," he tells Reason. "They'll just think it's just another inconvenience imposed on them by government."


The marketplace would do it's thing and bring back paper straws (biodegradable) even if they cost a penny more each.

I wonder though. If it's that legit of a concern, why not just use peer pressure like they did with styrofoam. Although that only partially worked. I'm sure one of the reasons the typical
Trumpeter prefers dunkin donuts coffee to starbucks is the styrofoam.

Sorry to let you guys know this, but even Dunkin donuts is guilty of falling prey to virue signalling (sometimes a good thing).
http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/07/news/companies/dunkin-styrofoam-cups/index.html
20   Tenpoundbass   2018 Jun 24, 5:50pm  

marcus says
The marketplace would do it's thing and bring back paper straws (biodegradable) even if they cost a penny more each.


But the plastic lid is still OK?
21   marcus   2018 Jun 24, 6:03pm  

How okay something that's environmentally unfriendly is, should be inversely proportional to how low the cost of a good alternative (substitute) is.

#not_rocket_science
22   Tenpoundbass   2018 Jun 24, 6:06pm  

marcus says
How okay something that's environmentally unfriendly is, should be inversely proportional to how low the cost of a good alternative (substitute) is.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-05/the-fight-for-paper-straws-is-getting-fierce-in-new-york-bars
23   FortWayne   2018 Jun 24, 7:58pm  

Marcus even you have to admit, fining waiters for straws is retarded and not a solution to anything,

We hire too many people to fill diversity quotas instead of hiring for ability

marcus says
zzyzzx says
"If people are forced not to use straws, then they won't necessarily see that it's for the environment," he tells Reason. "They'll just think it's just another inconvenience imposed on them by government."


The marketplace would do it's thing and bring back paper straws (biodegradable) even if they cost a penny more each.

I wonder though. If it's that legit of a concern, why not just use peer pressure like they did with styrofoam. Although that only partially worked. I'm sure one of the reasons the typical
Trumpeter prefers dunkin donuts coffee to starbucks is the styrofoam.

Sorry to let you guys know this, but even Dunkin donuts is guilty of falling prey to virue signalling (sometimes a good thing).
http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/07/news/companies/dunkin-styrofoam-cups/index.html
24   marcus   2018 Jun 25, 5:55am  

FortWayne says
Marcus even you have to admit, fining waiters for straws is retarded and not a solution to anything,


If good biodegradable straws cost one or two cents more per straw than plastic straws, then businesses will be very very slow to convert. Such a law would be very effective in speeding up the process.

As for the question of affirmative action, I can see why you make the comparison, but it's very different and complicated in other ways. I would argue that government stepping in for a while in efforts to expedite the increase of diversity in the work place was worth it, but that it has to end at some point.

I think a better comparison might be made to global warming. If two decades from now even the Koch brothers descendants and all the purveyors of fossil fuels by then admit that investing sooner in sustainable forms of energy, even if economically disruptive would have been worth it in hindsight, they might be able to look back and say that having leaders decide on policies without being overly influenced by lobbyists and propagandists for big oil and coal would have been good.

The fact is that government does have a role of sometimes tweaking the way change occurs if it were left only to the marketplace. Fining people for using plastic straws is radical, but on the other hand it makes the decision of using slightly more expensive straws a no brainer. Ultimately the consumer pays that one or two cents more per straw.

I don't know how many sea animals lives are saved in the process, but I'm assuming that the people behind the proposals have done their homework. Here's an idea for infowars or Brietbart. Perhaps they can start a rumor than Al Gore is heavily invested in the biggest paper straw makers ?
25   lostand confused   2018 Jun 25, 6:29am  

Liberlas are now the tough on crime party-the crime of providing straws is now punishable by jail!
26   marcus   2018 Jun 25, 6:45am  

It's one guys proposal. It's not going to pass. It might wake some people up.

Interesting about dunkin donuts. Was it about the technology and cost coming down on Paper coffee cups, or did they do focus groups and decide the business they gain might be greater than the business they lost from old codgers that prefer dunkin donuts becasue you know, screw those libruls with their ideas about the environment.
27   lostand confused   2018 Jun 25, 6:46am  

The one guy is the elader of the democrat majority in the lwoer house.This leader is proposing jailing people for 6 months for offeringa straw.
28   lostand confused   2018 Jun 25, 5:08pm  

What happens if the straw giver is an illegal-how will a liberal deal with that?
29   RC2006   2018 Jun 25, 5:42pm  

lostand confused says
What happens if the straw giver is an illegal-how will a liberal deal with that?

The same thing when they steal peoples socials, cross border, drive with no license or insurance, use fake ID's, nothing.
30   MisdemeanorRebel   2018 Jun 25, 5:49pm  

marcus says
I'm sure one of the reasons the typical
Trumpeter prefers dunkin donuts coffee to starbucks is the styrofoam.


The coffee doesn't taste like it was left on the burner for hours.

That, and for far cheaper, they put the cream and sugar in for you.

And no crap about venti or grande and shit.

AND it doesn't get cold in 15 minutes from shitty burn your fingers to freezing cold paper crap.

Finally, it's a franchise for many families, not just a faceless corporation.
31   HeadSet   2018 Jun 26, 6:55am  

South Korea, their recycling program is mandatory and getting more stringent by the month.

Not a bad idea, and it will happen here. But I would like to add to the program a Bill Clinton style 'Welfare to Work" program where people on the dole are used to sort trash and do related recycling work.
34   Onvacation   2022 Aug 15, 7:02am  

marcus says

Al Gore is heavily invested in the biggest paper straw makers ?

Actually, he invested in the little plastic covers that go over the paper straws. There is no money in paper.
35   Eric Holder   2022 Aug 15, 10:31am  

Looks like In-n-Out has ditched paper straws and is back to dispensing plastic ones. Happened some time over the last month.
36   Ceffer   2022 Aug 15, 10:33am  

I'm so glad Covid fraud absurdity vanquished so many of other petty Orwellian absurdities. I guess there is only so much room for fiat money supported absurdities.
37   FarmersWon   2022 Aug 15, 10:52am  

California bans expensive washing of dirty “French laundry” by politicians.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/18/us/newsom-california-covid-french-laundry.html
38   FortwayeAsFuckJoeBiden   2022 Aug 15, 8:13pm  

any of you old enough to remember when straws weren’t a thing that everyone required? was only a fast food drive thru thing
39   Patrick   2022 Aug 15, 8:35pm  

Eric Holder says

Looks like In-n-Out has ditched paper straws and is back to dispensing plastic ones. Happened some time over the last month.


They seem more based than most fast food places.
40   AD   2022 Aug 15, 10:46pm  

zzyzzx says

California Considers $1,000 Fine for Waiters Offering Unsolicited Plastic Straws


And Governor Newsome advertised California living in Florida, albeit those ads were in Miami. LMAO

.
41   AD   2022 Aug 15, 10:49pm  

Patrick says








I would just like seeing more recycling of plastic. My Ocean Kayak (scrambler model) is made of recycled plastic. Lots of opportunities to reuse plastic instead of being placed in the landfill. Granted, a landfill could be used for natural gas production but those plastics take a long time to decompose compared to the organic material.

,
42   Patrick   2022 Aug 15, 10:55pm  

Plastics are made of carbon, mostly, and if you can burn them at a high enough temperature, you get just CO2, some chlorine salts, and some elements like arsenic and lead.

The key is getting to really high temperatures. You might actually be able to generate power from plastics too.
43   AD   2022 Aug 16, 12:39am  

Patrick says

The key is getting to really high temperatures. You might actually be able to generate power from plastics too.


Yes, as far as if they are used in an incinerator. The county just shut down an incinerator here that use to burn garbage.

.
44   richwicks   2022 Aug 16, 12:50am  

Patrick says

The key is getting to really high temperatures. You might actually be able to generate power from plastics too.


They do this.

Provided it's a high enough temperatures, it burns cleanly. This is what is done with most recycled plastic, provided it's not just sent to a landfill and that happens plenty too.

We really shouldn't be using so much plastic. It's stupid, for example, that bottled water is sold in plastic, and not a paper carton like milk is. Actually, bottled water is stupid.
45   Eric Holder   2022 Aug 16, 11:00am  

Plastic going into rivers and oceans is really Asian problem, not Europeand or American. 99.99999% of it gets into the ocean from Asian countries. But since it's easier to look for car keys under the street light than in the dark forest where they were lost, is us who's hammered with stupid bans on this and that. I don't throw anything on the ground, even fucking banana peels, while it's totally socially acceptable to throw all kinds of garbage into rivers in Asia. Or shitting in a plastic bag and trowing it into the bush or onto neighbor's roof in Kenya. But good luck telling them to stop it.
46   Patrick   2022 Aug 16, 9:11pm  

That "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" could actually be worth a lot of money if someone can make a ship that scoops it up, dries it off, and burns it or refines it back into oil.
47   HeadSet   2022 Aug 17, 6:14am  

Patrick says

That "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" could actually be worth a lot of money if someone can make a ship that scoops it up, dries it off, and burns it or refines it back into oil.

More likely that all that low density floating plastic would barely make enough fuel to fill the gas tank of the boat that scooped it up.
52   Patrick   2024 Dec 12, 1:05pm  

zzyzzx says

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/28/paper-straws-worse-than-plastic-pfas-study/70702090007/


https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/1500-pardon-st-thursday-december


The Dallas Morning News ran a story yesterday headlined, “Texas lawsuit accuses 3M, DuPont of concealing harm from ‘forever chemicals.’” It almost took forever to get someone in government, somewhere, to do something.

Doing the job the federal health agencies used to do, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton yesterday sued DuPont, 3M, and other manufacturers of so-called PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), often called “forever chemicals” since they never degrade or break down. The chemicals are commonly used in waterproofing and non-stick coatings, such as on cookware or in protective sprays, and in thousands of other consumer products from carpets to pesticides.

But “these companies knew for decades that PFAS chemicals could cause serious harm to human health, yet continued to advertise them as safe for household use around families and children,” Paxton said in a statement.

The lawsuit (linked here) alleged that exposure to PFAS is connected to high cholesterol, increased risk of childhood infections, harmful reproductive and developmental effects, pregnancy-induced hypertension, decreased birthweight, testicular and kidney cancers, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, and memory loss related to personal item placement. Well, it didn’t actually say the memory loss part, but you never know. It would explain a lot, especially to my wife, who has to help me find everything.




Anyway, Texas became the third state to sue the PFAS manufacturers this year, joining Connecticut and Minnesota. The CDC’s web page on PFAS admits that “many PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment,” and clinically notes “exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.”

So that’s not too good.

The lawsuit’s allegations, if true, are damning. The lawsuit alleges that DuPont knew PFAS were toxic as early as the 1960’s, because exposed workers were getting sick. In 1981, DuPont did an internal blood sampling study of pregnant or recently pregnant employees. Of the eight women in the study who worked with Teflon, two (25%!) bore children with birth defects in their eyes or face, and at least one more had detectable levels of PFAS in their umbilical cord.

Paxton’s lawsuit alleges that DuPont lied and told its employees in writing the pregnancy study showed the chemicals were safe. It then slowly and quietly reassigned pregnant workers to other divisions.

The government has known about the problems with PFAS for decades. One EPA enforcement action was issued in 2004. But our fabulously funded government agencies have not even managed to get a warning label on products containing PFAS. The CDC’s PFAS webpage links to hundreds of other government websites about the chemicals. Nearly every major government agency is involved in PFAS research, including the obvious ones like EPA, FDA, and NIH, as well as more surprising ones like the DOD, the Navy, and the Air Force.

You know, between all the forever PFAS in our bloodstreams and fat tissues, the mRNA spikes in our cells (injected or shedded), and the microplastics building up in our brains, it’s getting pretty crowded in here.

Either way thanks, Texas! Thank you for at least doing something.

Finally, if you have time and interest, read the well-written and informative lawsuit. You can start at paragraph 20 (“Factual Allegations”) to skip the legalese.

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/PFAS%20Manufacturers%20Lawsuit%20Filed.pdf

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