Straws. You might not think much about them (unless the bottom tears; I hate when that happens), but environmentalists say they pollute.

A lot.

So they’ve become the latest target of anti-pollution campaigns, after Styrofoam, plastic grocery bags and tuna caught in nets with dolphins.

Assembly Bill 1884 would prohibit a dine-in restaurant from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer.

What happens if a waiter or server gives you a straw automatically?

They could be fined $25, but not more than $1,000, or be charged with a misdemeanor or six months in jail or both, according to the bill’s text.

The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Ian Calderon, D-Whittier.

First, the environmentalists argument: They say plastic lasts forever and ends up polluting our beaches or congealing into a massive ball of waste in the middle of the ocean.

Some statistics quoted by the bill’s author:

During cleanup days of the California coastline, straws are turning up in great numbers on the beaches, tide pools and among the marine life. Heal the Bay reported they picked up 100,000 straw on beaches in the last 15 years. Between 1989 and 2016, there have been 800,000 straws collected from California beaches, according to a study by the California Coastal Commission.

Second, they never get recycled. Many types of plastics do get recycled (plastic soda bottles, for example).

What happens to these plastic straws?

They can break down, but not in a good way. They become tiny pieces of plastic that can be seized upon by marine birds or sea mammals as food, according to information released in a press release by Calderon last month. They can harm a sea animal in other ways, too, he said.

Calderon has been taking tons of ridicule for proposing a law that would fine a waiter up to $1,000 for giving you a straw without asking. He’s been the focus of some caustic comments from Fox News and various radio stations for proposing fines or jail time for simply handing someone a straw. Some mock it as an “only in California” law.

Last week, Calderon said in a radio interview that the punishment part of the bill will be removed by the time it goes up for a vote. He’s offering amendments to take out the penalties, calling the penalty section of the bill “ridiculous.”

In an interview he did on Jan. 29 with KABC radio, he stressed: “They are not being banned. If you want a straw, you can have a straw. You just have to request it.”

The radio host suggested it would be better to fine people who litter. Catch the litterers and fine them. Provide a more holistic approach.

Calderon said there are many ways to tackle ocean pollution. He said he’s working hard to find a solution that will remove straw trash from our oceans and the beaches. He also says his bill is simply about bringing awareness to something most people don’t think about.

If you aren’t immediately being handed a straw at a sit-down restaurant, Calderon argues it will make the diner aware of the issue of plastic pollution damaging our coastline.

“We need to create awareness around the issue of one-time use plastic straws and its detrimental effects on our landfills, waterways, and oceans,” Calderon said in a prepared statement.

There are 500 million straws used in the United States per day, the assemblyman said. That’s enough to fill over 127 school buses each day.

I’m going to give it a try. Maybe my request will go something like this: “I’d like one iced tea, no sugar. And um, hold the straw.”

Steve Scauzillo covers transportation and the environment for the Southern California News Group. He’s a recipient of the Aldo Leopold Award for Distinguished Editorial Writing from The Wilderness Society. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram @stevscaz or email him at sscauzillo@scng.com.