Conversations about climate change and the state of our environment appear more frequently in today's society. We cannot help but tune into news stories about the devastating effects of global warming on certain parts of the world. More severe hurricane seasons, the early melting of ice in Greenland, and the infamous videos of starving polar bears are just a few of the reoccurring images.

Whether you choose to believe or to ignore the impending fate of our planet is not the issue. In fact, the problem is what can we do to alleviate some of the harm done to our Earth. As human-beings, we have the power to live a more environmentally conscientious lifestyle. One thing we can control is our consumption of single-use plastics.

Plastic straws. It appears as if you can never go to a restaurant anymore without having one of two scenarios occurring. One: the restaurant has switched to the use of paper straws or some other biodegradable material. Two: the restaurant no longer offers straws with their drinks.

This trend has only grown into a movement with plastic straw bans surfacing everywhere. Hence, the promotion of reusable metallic or bamboo straws. While I am a proud owner of my collapsable, metallic straw, this is only a very small step in the right direction.

Plastic straws only compose a very small percentage of our ocean's pollution. In fact, plastic straws compensate for less than one percent of ocean trash. Not only are we ignoring the other ninety-nine percent of our ocean's garbage, but we also forget about those who depend on single-use plastic straws. The banning of plastic straws discriminates against people with disabilities who rely on plastic straws to drink.

I am not condemning the purchase of a reusable straw. I am just saying we can do more.

We can agree that single-use plastics are bad for the environment. They take more than a lifetime to biodegrade, they kill marine life, and they ultimately end up in our food. We can change the amount of plastic in our oceans and landfills by simply using less. Instead of a plastic water bottle, invest in a reusable one. When you go shopping, bring your own bags in order to avoid the use of plastic bags. You can even support brands and other businesses that utilize sustainable materials in their packaging!

Reusable straws are a start, but let's all work on the next step: using less plastic.