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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Duke chapter.

This year, Duke has made the conscious decision to be proactive in reducing waste around campus. This has come in the form of composting, reusable to-go containers and, most controversially, cardboard straws. The majority of Duke vendors have switched to using paper straws, and the reviews are varying. 

The movement to stop the usage of plastic straws has taken the world by storm; restaurants have pledged to remove them completely from their counters, and the metal straws are trending on Amazon and are now the new sustainable trend at Urban Outfitters.

All this attention on banning the straw has also revealed underlying issues surrounding the “sustainability” trends of modern media.

via: Activist Post

First, the direct  linkage of plastic straw usage to “saving the environment” has the adverse effect of shaming those who have to use straws, especially persons with disabilities. The community has spoken out against the complete ban of straws, as some persons (due to strokes, cerebral palsy, or other existing conditions) cannot drink without a straw.

At Duke, many have complained about the paper straws dissolving in their drinks, but describe it as a “necessary evil”.

However, all this focus on straw usage has taken away from the largest contributor to plastic waste and emissions: corporations. Just 100 companies have been the source of more than 70% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 1988. Specifically, more than half of global industrial emissions since can be traced to just 25 corporate and state-owned entities. Focusing the blame for climate change on the individual consumer instead of these corporations allows them to continue their pollutive practices without facing the consequences.

Yes, replacing plastic straws with biodegradable wooden straws is better for the environment, but we should not stop there. We need to start holding corporations responsible for their actions, and do so quickly.

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Sarah Watkins

Stony Brook

Sarah Watkins is a transfer student at Boston University studying sociology. Before transferring to BU she co-founded HC Stony Brook at Stony Brook Univeristy. Her interests include: How I Met Your Mother, juice cleanses, astrology, talking about traffic (like a true LA native), Arctic Monkeys, and the oxford comma. Her current dream job is to become a professor in sociology, and on any given day you can find her drinking copious amounts of coffee and reading her sociology textbook like it's a novel. 
I am a senior at Duke University, majoring in art history and minoring in political science and psychology. Outside of class, I love traveling, watching films and writing. I'm excited to be Duke's campus correspondent this upcoming school year!