Part of the reason for this is that environmentalists optimize for the most visible (annoying) measures, not the most effective one. That goes so far as to ask

Part of the reason for this is that environmentalists optimize for the most visible (annoying) measures, not the most effective one. That goes so far as to ask people to sort recycling from trash 'to raise awareness' even when it all gets mixed together anyways. Straws and plastic bags in developed countries with working waste disposal systems are another example. Each time someone pulls a half-dissolved paper straw out of their drink, you've just made a person that is less willing to support environmental measures.