News Disney removing plastic straws and more by mid-2019

[Clowd Nyne]

Or...

Maybe people can stop thinking they need an endless stream of soda and coffee in their faces 24/7. Empty calories, zero nutritional value, too much caffeine and sugar - but apparently drinking that garbage quickly through a paper straw is some kind of deprivation.

They also make you more thirsty.

Drink water = drink less.

But everyone carry on whining like you can’t figure out how to get liquid into your mouths.

You can put water in your resort mug too! They’re really handy and hold most liquids.

 

[John park hopper]

Banning plastic straws and plastic bags in WDW sure will help (sarcasm) when you have this in the rest of the third world just a sample from India and China

 

[seascape]

Banning plastic straws and plastic bags in WDW sure will help (sarcasm) when you have this in the rest of the third world just a sample from India and China
View attachment 366872View attachment 366873

I know how much those new bags will help the environment. My wife now has a complete set. Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, World of Disney, Disney Springs and the Resorts. One of each size bags at each location. Since they will never be used, I am sure they will be helpful to the environment.

This program is a joke. I do wonder how WDW will handle the deliveries from the parks to our Resort in September. I expect we will still get plastic Disney Park Bags anyway. We spend 10 days and my wife loves shopping and the free deliveries to the resort. Fortunately, she has no problem picking up the packages at the Resort Store, so no extra fee. BTW, look at Ebay and the reusable bags for sale. Disney always knew the truth, that this is a profit center and not done for the good of the environment.

 

[King Panda 77]

So because other countries don't help the environment no one else should do ...

Grown up thinking right there

 

[networkpro]

So because other countries don't help the environment no one else should do ...

Grown up thinking right there

"The environment" is only local. It's not a terrestrial equivalent to "The Atmosphere" or "The Sea". This game of who can greenwash their business decisions as being more morally superior is inane.

 

[King Panda 77]

I forgot I was doing this .

 

[CaptainAmerica]

In practice, I'm not a fan of the elimination of lids. I don't care about plastic straws versus paper straws versus no straws, but it's tricky to move trays of drinks with no lids on them, even if it's just water, and especially if you're trying to carry a large order for your whole family.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Back in 2015-2016, WDW converted its bus fleet to run on R50 biodiesel. Though not perfect, it reduces the nonrenewable footprint from the bus system.

Electric buses haven't caught on as quickly in the U.S. as they have in China. Bloomberg reported that as of 2017, 99% of the 385,000 electric buses in the world were operating in China. Shenzhen is the first city with an all-electric public transport network. That said, battery powered electric buses are starting to catch on in the U.S., as manufacturers are coming to market with products with the range and reliability that metropolitan transit authorities need.

I was also surprised to learn that Disney, partnering with Harvest power, has a biofuel facility at the Reedy Creek energy facility that generates 5.4 MW of combined heat and electricity from food waste. (sadly a worker died there last year after falling into a vat of oil)


Luckily, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has leveled off or reversed the amount of various chlorofluorocarbons that were destroying the ozone layer and created the hole over the Antarctic. Of note, this treaty was ratified by every country in the world.


The EPA initiated its Acid Rain Program in 1995 as the implementation of the 1990 Clean Air Act to create market incentives to reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Since then, annual emission of sulfur dioxide have reduced from 17 million tons to 9 million tons. Over the same time period, regulations in the EU reduced emissions there even more (by 70%).

I think it's great when problems threatening all of us are identified and responded to in a timely fashion, leading to mitigation and reduced mortality. Isn't that the way things are supposed to work?

China is also the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases ...

 

[larryz]

I forgot I was doing this .
View attachment 366881

I'm Triggered.

 

[larryz]

China is also the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases ...

...but it's OK, because I'm sure Shanghai and Hong Kong DL's will follow suit on banning plastic straws...

 

[Hcalvert]

I saw this today for Earth Day. Look at the upper left-hand corner.

 

[Epcot_Imagineer]

Just curious, what kind of disability requires a plastic straw in favor of a paper one? Plastic allergy?

Here is a great article from NPR on why hard bans on plastic straws are harmful to some people with disabilities. In reference to your plastic/paper question here's a good quote from the article: "...paper straws and similar biodegradable options often fall apart too quickly or are easy for people with limited jaw control to bite through."
A quick summary: people with disabilities affecting their any of their motor skills, or those who are paralyzed, need plastic straws to be able to drink without assistance. All other straw alternatives introduce extra-steps/difficulties in order for them to be able to drink fluids.

 

[John park hopper]

So because other countries don't help the environment no one else should do ...

Grown up thinking right there

The US does not contribute significantly to the plastic being dumped into the ocean third world countries do.

 

[Raineman]

I'm Triggered.
View attachment 366893

Better than getting (Roy) Rogered.

 

[King Panda 77]

The US does not contribute to the plastic being dumped into the ocean third world countries do.

Good to know absolutely no plastic in the oceans comes from the USA .

 

[matt9112]

Good to know absolutely no plastic in the oceans comes from the USA .

not trying to defend anything here but point is semi valid third world countries pollute at MASSIVE rates compared to America. safety and other things that make nations greener cost more ehile providing no direct return thus these nations have far less incentive to adopt any of it. on top of that we repurpose so much of the high grade recyclable stuff now that whats left (like straws) are already msde from recyclables and is now a low grade plastic that can no further use. it cant just be melted back down it goes on a boat to china and well there not fans anymore so now it sits around. im ok with paper straws but im not ok with blanket no straw period policys.

 

[Lensman]

I saw this today for Earth Day. Look at the upper left-hand corner. View attachment 366901

I'm disappointed that they missed out on disposing of your air conditioner properly. Maybe it's not simple enough? Now that I look at the list, it's really just a list of everyday things that, if habitualized, could make a measurable difference - though LED bulbs and a plant-based diet would significantly move the dial. Conversion to LED is an easy choice now that that they have good CRI and are retail priced to pay for themselves after a number of years. I'm going to have a lot of trouble with the plant-based diet, though. OTOH, I am incentivizeded to convert to a more plant-based diet as one that is healthier for me - as long as we're not talking potato chips and french fries. Lol

The US does not contribute to the plastic being dumped into the ocean third world countries do.

Good to know absolutely no plastic in the oceans comes from the USA .

The U.S. is actually 12th.

I do worry about the unknown effect of microplastics on the ocean food chain and what it might mean for the fish and other seafood that I'll be eating (assuming that I won't be able to give up meat, or at least fish). At any rate, concern about other countries is a valid concern given that this is a tragedy of the commons problem. I'm not sure what the best courses of action are, but though I do think that we should continue to be leaders on reducing ocean plastic waste, there must be other things that would help. I wonder if there's enough will for a global treaty? I wonder if there's a solution in encouraging the creation of more waste-to-energy plants or research into waste-to-energy efficiency?

Regarding what someone said about pollution being a purely local problem, I think the problem is that sometimes it's not. The ocean plastics problem has become a global one, as has the ocean mercury problem. Also, 50-70% of Canada's acid rain comes from the sulfur dioxide and other pollutants released from plants in the United States. (Sorry for being such a bad neighbor, Canada!)

Edited to add: Regarding the idea that we shouldn't do anything since we're not the worst at dumping waste into the ocean, I don't like the idea of waiting for other countries to do something. I mostly believe that American is the best country in the world at virtually everything (well, except for all the other countries that are just as good, but let me brush that detail aside) and I believe that we can continue to believe, as long as we continue to strive to be the best that we can be and not be consumed by the mediocrity of just being "good enough" to not be the worst.

ObDisney: Hey, I just noticed that my diatribe against mediocrity can be applied to Disney. I think a lot of us would agree that WDW would be better served to return to the mantra of being the best - being practically perfect in every way, not being just good enough. Success, and money, will follow.

 

[jaklgreen]

You can put water in your resort mug too! They’re really handy and hold most liquids.

And they should make it so you can bring back your old one, so you don't have to buy a new one each time. If they are so concerned, this would help tremendously. We have about 2 dozen mugs that we reuse at home. But we don't drink too much soda so we don't always buy one.

 

[Phil12]

And they should make it so you can bring back your old one, so you don't have to buy a new one each time. If they are so concerned, this would help tremendously. We have about 2 dozen mugs that we reuse at home. But we don't drink too much soda so we don't always buy one.

We bought the lifetime mugs back in 1994.

 

[jaklgreen]

We bought the lifetime mugs back in 1994.

Yeah, we have a couple from the Contemporary from when my hubby and I went on our first trip there in 1996. We took them back for about 4 trips, then they changed the lifetime policy and wanted you to buy new ones. I guess a "lifetime" is not that long to WDW.