The name Milo Cress may not ring a bell for most, but four years ago, this 9-year-old boy started a campaign that did something pretty remarkable. It nudged our consciousness and tickled our conscience.

He wanted us to give up straws. Disposable plastic drinking straws. He calculated that the average American goes through 38,000 straws during his or her lifetime. Of course, young Milo (and you and I) knew that that was just the tip of the iceberg.

How many times in a week do we dispose of single use plastic items? Plastic grocery bags, plastic drink covers, Styrofoam containers, plastic cups, plastic plates and plastic utensils.

While at home we use and wash and reuse our glasses, cups, plates and silverware and seldom, if ever, substitute them with plastic. Most restaurants also use reusable dishes. Why do we then, think it perfectly “normal” to use plastic for what oftentimes is a matter of minutes before throwing it away? Where do we think “away” is!? When did we go from sitting down at a table to enjoy a meal to downing a burger on the road? Why are we almost the only country in the world with drive-through lanes?

Forty-five years ago today, millions of Americans marched calling attention to the perilous pollution of America’s land, air and water. It was called Earth Day.

And although there were powerful obstacles and interests to the contrary, laws to improve our environment have helped improve our lot.

Today, we are not only confronted with continuing pollution problems but with the secondary effects of our treatment of Mother Earth: climate change. Everyone and every one now, more than ever before in history, has a stake in keeping our Mother Earth sustainable.

Perhaps it’s time for the last straw.