Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we find ourselves in quite a predicament. The world teeters on the edge of chaos, with international tensions threatening to spill over into full-blown conflict. And yet, what occupies the minds of our esteemed leaders in the White House? Plastic straws. Yes, you heard that right. While nations are gearing up and geopolitical strategies are in play, Biden and Harris are busy policing our cutlery.
The Biden administration recently unveiled a plan specifically targeting this issue. The plan emphasizes eliminating single-use plastics across federal departments, including everyday items such as kitchen cutlery, cups, and straws.
It’s truly remarkable. We’re staring down the barrel of potential war, but the administration’s priorities are squarely focused on the environmental menace of disposable forks. Don’t get it twisted, folks – plastic pollution is an issue. But is it really the hill to die on right now? Is banning plastic bags going to fend off global threats or secure our borders?
The world is on fire and our leaders’ concern is plastic forks.
Biden administration will ban federal government using plastic cutlery to combat climate change https://t.co/JtCRC7EGAy #FoxNews— Cheri CeeGee (@CeegeeCheri) August 5, 2024
In response to what he has termed the “climate crisis,” President Biden announced this order, which calls for a comprehensive response from all federal agencies. The initiative, the White House stated, underscores the President’s commitment to ambitious actions to end plastic pollution and appeals to the global community to follow suit. The ultimate goal is to reduce the global production and consumption of virgin plastics.
The plan entails phasing out single-use plastics, including plastic and polystyrene food and beverage containers, bottles, straws, cups, cutlery, and even disposable plastic bags. By 2027, the aim is to phase out federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging and from all federal operations by 2035.
This is not the first time President Biden has taken steps to reduce plastic use. A former executive order sought to lower the sale of single-use plastic products on public lands.
However, some Republican lawmakers have expressed strong opposition to this initiative. Sen. Mike Rounds critiqued the focus on plastic forks during critical times. Sen. James Lankford echoed similar sentiments, calling the initiative “more messaging and ridiculousness.” Sen. Mike Lee suggested that the government should downsize to consume less rather than reduce plastic use.
Nevertheless, the administration has acknowledged that in cases of “national security,” some agencies can have their activities exempted from the order. The White House stated that an agency head can exempt specific agency activities and related personnel, resources, and facilities from the provisions of this order when it is in the interest of national security.
Let’s face it: this feels like a distraction, a way to dodge the hard-hitting realities by focusing on straws and cutlery. Sure, they’ve allowed some exemptions for “national security,” but if only they showed the same urgency for pressing matters of actual security. So, as we move forward, perhaps it’s time for the administration to put down the plastic fork and pick up the real issues threatening our nation’s stability.
