Trump ignites controversy.. The return of “plastic straws” and stopping funding for electric car charging stations
Trump ignites controversy.. The return of “plastic straws” and stopping funding for electric car charging stations
2025-02-08 04:15
Shafaq News/ US President Donald Trump announced his intention to sign an executive order next week allowing the reuse of plastic straws, ending the Biden administration’s support for paper straws.
The move is the latest on environmental issues since his return to power, after withdrawing from the Paris climate change agreement and issuing deregulatory orders as part of his agenda to encourage fossil fuel extraction .
On Thursday, the Republican administration also sought to defund a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations, angering environmentalists .
Paper straws are not popular with many consumers but they cause less pollution than plastic .
Trump said on social media, “I will be signing an executive order next week ending Biden’s endorsement of non-working paper straws. We are going back to plastic.”
Democrat Biden has adopted a goal of eliminating single-use plastic cutlery such as straws by 2035 across all government agencies .
Trump expressed his displeasure with paper straws during a 2020 campaign rally against Biden, saying: “They want to ban straws. Has anyone tried those paper straws? They fall apart when you drink from them .”
The Trump campaign sold plastic straws with the slogan, “Liberal paper straws don’t work.”
The president, who calls climate change a scam, has also frequently targeted electric cars despite his close alliance with Tesla CEO Elon Musk .
Activists say defunding the $5 billion nationwide electric vehicle charging network would be a major setback to efforts to reduce emissions of pollutants that cause climate change .
“This program delivers real benefits to all 50 states, creating jobs, boosting economic opportunity, and reducing pollution,” said Evergreen Action.
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