Jonathan Crimmins, in his article “Drop the Foam, Drop it…” is right about one thing, but only one thing; I am “a well-intentioned young woman.” He is wrong on every other point.

On December 7th, the Brunswick Town Council unanimously voted to proceed with banning Styrofoam in Brunswick. At that meeting I spoke, highlighting the research I did this fall on marine plastics while at the Cape Eleuthera Institute in The Bahamas. Through my field research, I found that 30 percent of pelagic fish we dissected had visible plastics in their stomachs, some of which included Styrofoam along with film fragments from plastic bags. Crimmins is wrong when he implied these fish’s lives were sacrificed purely for the cause of science. Local fishermen, who depend on sustenance fishing, caught the fish, filleted them, ate the meat, and then, rather than throwing away the carcasses, provided them for scientific research. Crimmins is wrong when he stated the ban is only because Styrofoam is bad for sea creatures. Although ingestion of plastics by fish, lobsters, and other marine animals is harmful to them, it is equally harmful for us to eat seafood that has ingested plastics toxins.

Crimmins is wrong that the proposal is difficult for small retailers. The ordinance allows retailers to deplete their stock, and the cost difference between restocking paper versus Styrofoam is minimal.

Crimmins is wrong when he stated that the ban is insubstantial. The ordinance is a small step toward preventing plastic pollution. Certainly, more can be done, but better a small step than none at all.

Crimmins is wrong that the council’s time could have been better spent. I applaud the Town Council for recognizing the need to look toward the future and take responsibility for curtailing plastic pollution produced by our town. By banning Styrofoam, Brunswick is setting an example of an environmentally conscious community along with Portland, South Portland and Freeport, in hope that others will follow its lead to a sustainable future. To support this, please go to bringyourownbag.info to sign the petition.

It’s the right thing to do.

Phoebe Colvin Oehmig,
Brunswick