Grasping at Straws
Our dining choices do have consequences
Twenty-five years ago, a friend and I were chatting over cold drinks on a hot day. Mindful of the environment, my friend drew attention to the fact that she, unlike me, was not using a straw. Having recently gone vegetarian, I pointed out that her regular consumption of animal flesh was not environmentally friendly either. She waved this off, saying that we’d messed up the Earth so badly already that her dietary choices didn’t matter.
I’m still seeing a lot of similar, contradictory expressions today. Social justice-minded folks are pushing back against suggestions that individual choices, such as avoiding straws or eating a plant-based diet, matter, compared to the impact that corporations have on our planet and society. But many of these same folks shame non-voters and third-party voters, insisting that the correct choice for a better world is to vote for the favored Democratic candidate.
So do our individual choices matter or not?
