Sea Turtle in “Straw-Up-Nose” video breaks silence

Pollution victim or Party animal?

Originally Published: July 18, 2018.

The announcement by Starbucks that they will be banning plastic straws starting in 2019 is the most concrete response yet to a problem that came to most people’s attention through a video released earlier this year. The video, a graphic and disturbing view of a sea turtle having a 10-inch plastic straw extracted from its nostril, quickly went viral upon release and alerted the world to the problem of disposable plastic straws and the danger the non-biodegradable items can pose to ocean wildlife. It caused concerned citizens to pressure restaurants into banning straws if they can’t find an environmentally friendly alternative.

The problems caused by plastic waste in our oceans is very real, but ST has learned that the back story to the video that focused public awareness on the issue isn’t quite as it seems.
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