Did anyone happen to see Adrian Grenier hanging around downtown Kirkland last week? Adorbs. He and his entourage of friends from the Lonely Whale Foundation were busy launching their Strawless in Seattle campaign.  Yes, I said strawless-  the ones you drink out of (but now you'll try not to...).  The plastic straws that Americans use 500 million of each day, many of which end up in our oceans.  During the month of September, over 100 restaurants have committed to incorporating sustainable alternatives to plastic straws.  There are a lot of familiar names leading by example and teaming up in this effort to reduce the consumption of plastic straws, such as the Seattle Mariners, Sounders, Seahawks, Seattle Aquarium, Tom Douglas restaurants, Seattle's Great Wheel, the Space Needle, Nube9, Columbia Hospitality, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and more than 100 restaurants and bars. Shout-out to our Kirkland supporters! I saw Anthony's on the list and  The Heathman is on all-in, check out their Facebook contest  (so easy--- do it!), where you can win a voucher for 20% off at Trellis.

 <-- Lonely Whale Executive Director, Dune Ives (photo credit: Emy Kane/Lonely Whale Foundation)

"We are living during a critical turning point for our ocean, and that's why I'm excited to celebrate the city of Seattle as a true ocean health leader," said Adrian Grenier, co-founder of Lonely Whale Foundation.  "Alongside Lonely Whale Foundation, Seattle's citywide commitment demonstrates our collective strength to create measurable impact and address the global ocean plastic pollution crisis. We are starting in Seattle with the plastic straw and see no limits if we combine forces to solve this global issue."  Check out some of the FAQ here to answer your questions about why this matters.  

There are lots of great videos on their site.  Show your kids.  They'll hop on board too. Our ecosystem goes full circle, and the fish we eat are consuming the microplastics in our oceans. Gross, right? Doesn't seem like it should be so tough to use a cute paper straw instead (or metal or glass or bamboo or reed)! Do you have a business or know of a business that would love the idea of saving our oceans one plastic straw at at time? Challenge them to #stopsucking.  The goal is to remove 500 million plastic straws from the U.S. waste stream in 2017.  You know I love this stuff...little things that can collectively make a big impact on our planet.  Sort of like when we all stopped letting the water run  the entire time we brush our teeth.  Not tough, but makes a difference.  Spread the word. ~j