Trump’s attack on paper straws is mostly symbolic — but the plastics industry is celebrating: Trade groups are seizing the moment to call for fewer restrictions on plastics.

First off, it takes effort to make anything illegal. Campaigning and lobbying are hard and costly work. Second, our "efforts" comprise not only the work put in, but also the cost of the results.

Plastic straws are poor choice of target. They're a highly visible point of friction to the average voter that can be used to easily sour them against progressive climate action in general, switching away from them creates disability accommodation issues, and the net benefit to the planet is tiny. Reducing plastic packaging or targeting fishing waste (as I've mentioned elsewhere, 80% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is fishing waste) would have far more of an impact, at far less of a cost to public support for our cause.

Ultimately the focus on plastic bags and straws is a huge benefit to the biggest polluters, because it keeps attention away from them.