Ice coffee without the existential crisis
Plus being recognized by John Mannion's staff member
Hi, Sari here. It’s fall, which means birds are migrating and pumpkin spice is a whole vibe. I live in upstate New York, and my husband Bryan and I are obsessed with the birds out our front window. While I’m loving the tufted titmice and the nuthatches, the best was seeing goldfinch feed on the native sunflowers I had planted. On the scale of satisfaction, it was right up there with making a crackly loaf of sourdough or hearing my daughter saying, “You’re right, Mom.” (Oh, sweet joy!)
With more birds out, there are more window strikes. A sobering fact: a billion birds die from window collisions in the U.S. each year. When we moved into our house, we had two or three strikes a week and one upsetting morning, we found two dead birds by our (glass) backdoor. What to do? I researched and discovered specialized tape is one of the most effective ways to protect birds. They associate the tape with spider webs, which they avoid. (Who knew?) For aesthetic reasons, we were wary about putting tape on our beautiful windows and door, but the installation was easy and in the year since, we’ve only had one strike. Plus we hardly notice the tape anymore.
Three lessons:
1.) Birds hate getting spider silk in their feathers
2.) Small actions can make a big difference
3.) Humans are adaptive
Which brings me to plastic. It’s been found in human hearts, whale stomachs, near the peak of Everest, and very much in my kitchen cupboards. I can get discouraged or adapt by creating new habits.
A couple weeks ago, I took my Girl Scout travel mug to the coffee shop and did something new (to me), I asked for ice coffee in my travel mug. Some background: I drink hot lattes in the summer to avoid all the plastic that comes with cold drinks. Well, joke’s on me. That single-use disposable cup used for hot lattes is lined in plastic. I mean, I should have known, but I just felt so virtuous drinking my hot lattes on scorching days. So you know what was refreshing? My ice coffee without the existential crisis.
Personal Action: Start your own plastic-free habit. Maybe you’ll buy bar soap instead of plastic-y liquid soap. Maybe you’ll take totes to the grocery store. Maybe you’ll store utensils in your car so you can skip plastic utensils when you buy food on the go. Or maybe, like me, you’ll take a travel mug to the coffee shop.
Why it Matters: The plastic industry plans to increase plastic production by 40% in the next ten years. We’re freaking out about microplastics in placentas and the plastic industry has responded by saying, Worried about plastic now? Well, guess what? We’ll give you even more plastic, SUCKERS! It’s time for consumers to say, “No, Thank you!” and shop with sustainability in mind.
Last story, and this one made me laugh sort of bitterly. Last week, I went to my local library and met my state senator, John Mannion. He was holding office hours and I wanted to urge him to co-sponsor The Plastic Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. The bill never got out of committee this past spring, despite New York state having a super-majority of democrats. It’s a common-sense bill, requiring companies to reduce plastic packaging. As I shook hands to greet Senator Mannion, he said he recognized me, which is unlikely. My newsletter isn’t that famous. I then talked to him about the bill and he was tepidly supportive, and as I was thanking him and his staff member for their time, the staff member said she definitely knew who I was. She said, “You’ve called our office about the bill, right?” And I had. About three or four times. But only three or four times! If they remembered me, then not enough people who care about plastic pollution are calling him. If we all called, he wouldn’t dare be tepidly supportive. He would co-sponsor the legislation and be proud about it!
Public Action: If you live in New York, call your senators and assembly member and demand that they pass the Plastic Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S4246/A5322). Say it’s a priority for you and tell them why. If you don’t live in New York, you can support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act.
Why it matters: We have to change the systems if we’re going to turn off the plastic tap. And we have to turn off the tap. If plastic were a country, it would be the fifth largest producer of carbon emissions. What will happen to the planet when plastic production increases by 40%? We have to change the story!
What we’ve been up to:
Andria William’s second novel, The Waiting World, is available for preorder.
“A compelling story of love and war. The Waiting World is expertly researched and beautifully written, but also an intimate meditation on class, race, and the American dream. As lyrical as Fitzgerald and as feisty as Whitman, Williams's second novel is a triumph of the imagination and a riveting read." M.C. Armstrong, author of The Mysteries of Haditha and American Delphi
Sari Fordham’s essay “Driver Ants” was republished in Short Reads, and she wrote about the Buy Nothing groups for Literary Mama. Read it here.
