Alan Underdog dragged his protest sign across the barroom floor and settled on to the first open stool.  After a couple long pulls on his brew, Al glanced over and noticed that one of the two women he was seated next to was just leaving.  That left Lucy Likely nursing her drink next to him.

        Soon Al was pouring out his sorrows to Lucy.  “I try so hard to help build a healthy environment!  For example, I’ve been protesting across the street for a week now.  But it seems like no matter how compelling our message is, the politicians just won’t listen,” Al lamented.

        “Poor boy,” Lucy patted his hand.  “You know, I’m an activist too, and maybe I’ve just been lucky, but my friends and I have actually had some success with our issues.  And you know what?  I think it’s because we have…”  She looked over both shoulders and then lowered her voice. “We have a secret power.” Lucy winked and then whispered, “We vote.”

       Well, as you can imagine, Alan burst into a tirade about how just one vote is practically meaningless and blah, blah, blah.  Once his rant subsided, Lucy calmly set her smart phone on the bar and said, “Okay Mr. Underdog. Let’s look at your issue.”  It only took a brief on-line search to find a promising website.  “Let’s see what the Environmental Voter Project* has to say.”

       What they found was startling!  First, they learned that many environmentalists work diligently on issues but never bother to actually vote.  Almost 16 million of them didn’t cast a ballot in the 2014 election!  Most amazing of all was why, as a voter, Lucy has “secret sway.”  When Lucy votes, it becomes public record that she’s done so.  If she votes again, she becomes a “likely voter.”  Consider this - if politicians want to get re-elected, the ONLY citizens they care about are “likely voters.”  In 2016 polling, “likely voters” ranked climate change / environmentalism only 15th out of 19 issues.  But if those other 16 million folks became “Likelies” that ranking would climb dramatically and politicians would take notice.

       Lucy Likely’s secret sway over politicians is no secret at all; it’s simply THE basic tenet of a democracy.  So, VOTE like our lives depend on it because they do, here on our only home where we’re forever…Earthbound.
*www.environmentalvoter.org

           “…and that’s how this straw got wedged up my nose,” complained Celia Sea Turtle.  Dr. Bea Wiser was exasperated with the increasing number of plastics-related maladies afflicting her ocean-dwelling patients.  Lately, she’d been treating a rash of plastic straw injuries.  So she listened intently as Celia went on to tell the bizarre tale of how Frankenstraw came to life.

            “It all began in 1888 when Marvin C. Stone created the first model of a modern drinking straw,” related Celia.  “Then when Joseph Friedman invented the ‘bendy’ straw in 1937 things really began to take off.  But it wasn’t until the 1960s with the development of cheap plastic drinking straws that Frankenstraw drew his first breath.

            “Before that time people didn’t think twice about drinking any beverage the same way humankind has done since the dawn of civilization, by putting one’s lips to the cup.  But single-use plastic straws were a novel and convenient way to cheaply enhance a drink.  Soon straw dispensers were popping up at every drink service area.  Beverage servers routinely dropped a straw into almost any type of drink and Frankenstraw’s influence spread across the globe.

            “No one seemed to question the wisdom of using this insignificant item just one time and then tossing it into the trash.  But now in the U.S., Frankenstraw has swelled to about 500 million straws (1.6 straws per person) each day!  Iowa Co. alone throws away about 38,000 on a daily basis.  Now Frankenstraw’s influence is EVERYWHERE, even in my poor little nose,” lamented Celia.

            Bea Wiser carefully extracted the painful intruder* from Celia’s suffering nostril.  “What can be done?” she asked Ms. Turtle.

            “A lot actually,” Celia instructed.  “First of all, humans need to simply ask for no straw when ordering a drink.  Businesses need to add "Straws served upon request" notices in their menus.  Some companies are already starting to develop eco-friendly drinking straws.  When humans become aware of how wasteful and damaging these plastic projectiles are, Frankenstraw’s days will be numbered.  Soon some clever manufacturing firm is going to make a bundle marketing the ‘latest thing’… biodegradable straws.

            “Do you think the humans will actually change their ways?” Celia wondered.

            “I hope so.  They’re smart, and they really have to,” Bea Wiser (sighed).  “Because this is the only home we’ll ever share with them.  We’re here with them forever…Earthbound.”

*Actual footage - www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MPHbpmP6_I