sparks19, I should have made it clearer in my post - I was referring to industrial polluting.

At the other end of this are some people who think that individuals don't need to do anything at all - it is the 'big companies' who should. But - 'big companies' are run by and employ individuals...there might a lot to be said for the ripple effect.

And you're right - everything we do will have an impact on the environment. I think that is why the term 'environmental footprint' was coined. Creating a smaller footprint that gives Mother Nature enough time to 'clean up after us' is what that is after.

I take out far less garbage than I used to. When I do, I now put it in kitchen-size compostable bags. I use the same kind of bags (doggy poop scoop bags) to clean out the cat box. One bag lasts me 2 - 3 cleans. That gets thrown out too.

Before, I used regular plastic grocery bags. They take 100 years to break down. These compostable ones break down in less than a year, and do so completely, not just into wee bits. Some break down in less than 40 days (BioBag - haven't found those in my area yet). There's even a warning to tell you to use the bags within a certain time period!

Getting to where we hoomins can live comfortably and still let Mom Nature room and time to clean up I think is a realistic goal. Balance.