Not that we don’t trust Kat Timpf, but come on … activists are really trying to do away with the plastic straw emoji too?

Activists Are Actually Trying to Get Rid of Straw Emojis Now https://t.co/yWypGz3oqR via @KatTimpf pic.twitter.com/OlhIiymG9i — National Review (@NRO) March 28, 2019

Timpf writes:

As I’ve written before, the hysteria surrounding plastic straws is mostly overblown. After all, straws make up only 0.02 percent of the plastic waste that is estimated to go into the ocean each year — and the United States is responsible for only about 1 percent of the total amount of plastic waste that ends up in the ocean overall. What’s more, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the number of emoji plastic straws that wind up in the ocean is precisely zero. Why? Because — and this may blow your mind here — emoji straws are not actual straws. That’s right: There is absolutely no chance of even a single emoji straw ever harming a plastic sea turtle, so it’s actually completely and totally safe for those emojis to continue to exist.

To be fair, the organizers say the movement is just a “lighthearted way” to raise awareness of the dangers of plastic straws: “One of the world’s most popular cocktails is now the ‘tropical cocktail emoji’ with millions ‘served’ every year. Yet every one of those comes with a straw. To draw attention to the use of straws in a lighthearted way, we hope we can get our digital symbols to reflect the work Bacardi, as well as hundreds of bars, and thousands of cocktail drinkers, are doing to reject single use plastic straws in real life.”

Lighthearted, but still stupid.

Ah, yes, what good is a virtue signal that makes going out to restaurants a horrible experience without also banning digital evidence that a better future was once possible, one where you could drink your soda with a plastic straw, in peace. First they came for the straws … — ❌ Marc Evan Aupiais ❌ (@SACNSNew) March 28, 2019

This is the last straw. — UnsafeSpace (@Tony_P_Mator) March 28, 2019

Wait… there’s a straw emoji?!? — Jonathan Hamrick (@jonhamrick3) March 28, 2019

This is ridiculous. EMOJIS ARE NOT POLLUTION. What do they think, emojis are a gateway to plastic straw use? — Olivia Campbell (@MissizzC) March 28, 2019

Good thing the activists are standing up. I can't tell you how many straw emojis I saw on the beach in California last time I was there. — Michael (@Michael37437040) March 28, 2019

Maybe they are killing turtle emojis — Tom Muck (@tommuck1961) March 29, 2019

Must be exhausting to have to constantly look for a reason to be outraged. — ??Tara??⭐⭐⭐ (@TruCelt) March 29, 2019

Los Angeles: where your boobs, face & butt can be plastic but your grocery bag can't! @KatTimpf https://t.co/rZN2oL6Rjt — Janie Johnson (@jjauthor) March 29, 2019

#WalkAway from liberal lunatics! — Drain The Deep State❌ (@VolFF1805) March 29, 2019

Come and take it ? pic.twitter.com/10T9vXgFdM — Bones126 (@bones01261) March 29, 2019

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