Straw-Ban: Yes, It Helps, But Also, No

Image courtesy of pixabay

We’re finally seeing a trend in the anti-plastic movement and are heading towards a “waste-free” society. Restaurants and cafes no longer giving out straws has been a massive shift. Re-usable water bottles and coffee containers are also readily available for purchase to banish the never-ending cycle of plastic water bottles and wax-coated cups that will outlive you on this planet. But it all begs the question: are these small steps even making a dent in the issue?

I’ve been on a waste-free journey for many years now, though it has an extreme learning curve with plenty of obstacles. Our society has developed an addiction to convenience and mindless purchasing. An article posted by CBC in April states that we’re producing 300-million tonnes of plastic each year but very little of that is plastic straws.  And since the 1950’s, we’ve produced over 8-billion tonnes of the stuff with over 6-billion of those tonnes becoming waste.

In my opinion, banning straws is a step in the right direction, because at least people are starting to recognize—on a smaller scale—that disposable plastics shouldn’t be used so irresponsibly. Something you use for only a couple minutes will sit on our planet for a minimum of a few centuries, since they are rarely recycled. The experts in the fight against this environmental catastrophe are evidently very supportive of the changes at hand, but the banning of straws is just a speck of snow on the larger invasive iceberg. Rob Opsomer, a leader in the UK conservation movement, says, "Given they are such a tiny fraction of the overall market, we cannot stop at straws. We need to rethink the entire plastics industry." That being said, what is the next step for the Average Joe?

I’m positive that all of us in the millennial generation can remember the famous jingle, “Reduce, reuse, recycle.” But over the years the 3R’s have been rethought, and two more R’s have been added to the gang: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose. For example, instead of buying a new dishwasher when a part needs replacing, just get the new part!

Instead of buying a case of bottled water at Costco every week, splurge on a Contigo water bottle while you’re there and save thousands of dollars for yourself and spare the ocean some breathing room while you’re at it. Refusing to use disposable plastics will set everything in motion towards a cleaner, greener Earth. If everyone got on board, big-box stores would be forced to supply us with eco-friendly products at a reasonable price—the cycle won’t end until we come together as a whole. Movements like the straw ban is just the start, and a very good one at that, but there needs to be more—from all of us.

I could go on for another four thousand words, but our attention spans deserve the ability to click another link. There are plenty of resources available, and I’m one of them! For more information on what you can do I’ve provided some insightful sources online, but don’t hesitate to ask me a question either; it helps me on my journey too.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/banning-plastic-straws-1.4628160

https://oneplanetzero.com/blogs/news/plastic-pollution-still-think-you-cant-make-a-difference

http://sites.psu.edu/math033fa17/2017/10/10/plastic-vs-reusable-water-bottles/

https://www.banthebottle.net/articles/battle-of-the-reusable-bottles-plastic-vs-aluminum-vs-stainless-steel/

Contact Me: vinc0088@algonquinlive.com

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Chloe Vincent

Chloe Vincent is an avid reader, aspiring writer, and lover of culture. Being in her second year of Professional Writing at Algonquin College and a new mother there’s always another step to take to get further. Check out her children’s book “The Life of a Pie” at the Connections store and always check back here for more.

Mushrooms—Not a Silent Killer

I’ve had a poster by David Arora hanging in my bedroom for over 20 years, titled: “Edible Mushrooms of the Forest Floor.” It’s stunning in colour, and the variety of all the different mushrooms would make your eyes cross if you looked at it for too long — but I love it. I love knowing that the mushroom is genetically closer to mammals than it is to plants. I love knowing that the largest known organism on Earth is a mushroom, but even with all this information, I also developed a fear of coming across one of them on a walk through the forest.

What if the mushroom was just a look-a-like of its non-toxic sister, and then my dog eats it? Or if the spores somehow get in my lungs and I become a mushroom lady? I think anyone would question the situation, rushing to the vet or calling poison control. As a society we generally fear fungi and their fruit — the mushroom — unless it’s wrapped in cellophane at the grocery store, assuming it can only be poisonous if found on its own. But in reality, mushrooms are the most incredible, productive, and fascinating organisms on our planet. And we’re still learning what they can do for us as well as what they can do to us.

In the past few weeks, I’ve had multiple conversations about mushrooms. The conversation usually starts with me asking the person, “Have you heard of Paul Stamets?” I’m always desperately trying to talk about his discoveries, but the conversation always leads to talking about psychedelic mushrooms (psilocybin). It’s disappointing every time; I take a moment to educate and just get blank stares or glances at the wall behind me.

First, Paul Stamets is a fascinating human being with more passion for fungi than anyone I have yet to come across; and second, I am not talking about psychedelic mushrooms. Although they are a big part of the growing fear that has developed in North America, I’m talking about the mushrooms growing on your lawn in mid-August, or the gourmet boxes you see at the grocery store, or even ones you’ve never heard of like the agarikon mushroom from the Pacific North-West. To me, there are few topics more misunderstood than mushrooms, and what makes it more intriguing for me is how fearful we are of them.

The first mention of mycophobia was by British mycologist W.D. Hay in 1887. He claimed that the people of Britain were well known for being fearful of mushrooms and stayed away from them, almost entirely to avoid poisoning. Now, only buying white button mushrooms to eat and considering portobello mushrooms as an exotic variety in our kitchens is just the tip of the cap of our on-going collective phobia. The only way to release our society from this irrational fear is to become educated, and finally grow out of this hardened primal concern.

Other countries are more inclined to harvest wild mushrooms (eg. Russia, Poland, and Ukraine), and they praise the ability to do so, with legislated guidelines. They’re the ones known as mycophiles, the polar opposite to the Brits of W.D. Hays’ time, and to us in the 21st century. David Arora — a veteran in the mycological community — as well as mushroom cultivators, are no stranger to this stigma against their beloved fungal group.

“…consider this: out of several thousand different kinds of wild mushrooms in North America, only five or six are deadly poisonous! And once you know what to look for, it’s about as difficult to tell a deadly Amanita from a savory chanterelle as it is a lima bean from an artichoke.” Comforting words from David Arora. He — as well as Paul Stamets and other mycologists — are patient and attentive to our fears. So before you panic at the park, or the grocery store, remember what you read here today.

If you’re interested in reading more about mycology, fungi, and the people who nurture them check out these sites:

https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/16/us/animals-and-fungi-evolutionary-tie.html

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236909591_Mycophilic_or_Mycophobic_Legislation_and_Guidelines_on_Wild_Mushroom_Commerce_Reveal_Different_Consumption_Behaviour_in_European_Countries

http://tcpermaculture.com/site/2013/07/01/fighting-fungophobia-or-mycophobia-the-fear-of-mushrooms/

http://fortune.com/2014/07/25/a-fungus-among-us/

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Chloe Vincent

Chloe Vincent is an avid reader, aspiring writer, and lover of culture. Being in her second year of Professional Writing at Algonquin College and a new mother there’s always another step to take to get further. Check out her children’s book “The Life of a Pie” at the Connections store and always check back here for more.

Do Bugs Get Sick?

Photo by Denise Johnson on Unsplash

I was sitting on my porch when a fly came into my personal space. He buzzed around my head and, very naturally, landed on me. I wasn’t feeling well that week as I was fighting a cold my son so graciously shared with me. My younger, more curious mind made an appearance and I asked the question, “Can I give this fly my cold?” I was really hoping I could.

I really hate insects; buzzing around my head, making shots at my ear, their tiny nonsensical legs, and just generally pissing me off on a regular basis left me with nothing to love. I wanted it to feel as crappy as I did. Someone once said to me, “If they’re outside they’re insects—but if they’re inside, they’re bugs.” Makes sense. But either way, they’re an entity I choose to despise regardless of their status in the circle of life.

Although there is no research I could find that shows an insect can be infected the way we are with the common cold (I picture a tiny house fly with a microscopic hanky wiping mucous from his mouth parts after a wee sneeze attack) there is an entire field dedicated to insect pathology. With my strange thought as a platform for discovery, I found all kinds of new branches of what I would consider underground science.

The most publicly known topic in the insect the pathologist’s agenda right now is Colony Collapse Disorder. In 2006, beekeepers in America were seeing 30-90% of their bee colonies just disappearing over-night with no explanation, trace, or even a clue to speculate on the mysterious disappearance. Insect pathologists burst into action to find the cause. They’re still working on the causes and effects in this department, but there has been significant research and studies on neonicotinoids having a deathly effect on pollinators. Insecticides with the neonic are now being banned across the world; such bans are active in Canada and in Europe. This field of study is fascinating, and easily steals you into the rabbit hole of the internet, yet it still didn’t answer my question.

With a bit more digging I came to a very reasonable and easy answer, cited from a guy who goes by the name Klenow on Reddit. He works in biotech (whatever that may entail, good luck to you). He stated that, although they can contract the cold virus, their respiratory system works nothing like ours and wouldn’t be affected the way we humans are. No mini hanky for you, fly!

That being said, it’s still important to know that flies thrive and survive off excrement and carcasses. They carry bacteria around like they’re the local transit system. Salmonella, E. Coli, and typhoid are just a sample of terrifying bacteria they could drop off at any given time. If that doesn’t make me hate them even more than I already did, well, the word loathe now comes to mind.

Related Articles

Giving House Flies a Virus to Prevent Reproduction

Insects Get Sick Too: The Study of Insect Pathology

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Chloe Vincent

Chloe Vincent is an avid reader, aspiring writer, and lover of culture. Being in her second year of Professional Writing at Algonquin College and a new mother there’s always another step to take to get further. Check out her children’s book “The Life of a Pie” at the Connections store and always check back here for more.