I am a conservative with a degree in Environmental Resource Management, so i'm sympathetic towards those that want to save the planet. I was surprised to hear that Santa Barbara has passed a straw ban. If a waiter or waitress serves a straw at a restaurant, the restaurant owner can receive a $1000 dollar fine including six months in prison. America already as the highest incarceration rate in the world, yet lawmakers are still looking for stupid reasons to lock people up.
This is environmental extremism at its worst. Plastic waste is a serious concern, but straws have a tiny impact on the environment. Where is the common sense? Instead of locking people up for using straws, why not require chemical companies to produce biodegradable plastics? Instead of punishing minimum wage employees for providing good service to customers, why not go after chemical companies to design better products?