Systemic problems need political fixes. Political fixes require collective action. And collective action is the sum total of individual lifestyle choices.

If you want government to act on the environment you need a critical mass of voters who put the environment first and punish politicians at the ballot box if they don't.

If you want corporations to act on the environment you need a critical mass of consumers who refuse to buy from corps that don't.

And you get to that critical mass by living your values and converting other people to those values.

So yeah, your asking for a paper straw doesn't make an impact. You being part of hundreds of thousands of people all asking for paper straws tells Starbucks they better pay attention.