JTT, you're on the right track, but perhaps fine-tuning your boycott would make a bigger impact. Why not redirect some of the savings into organizations you think are working best in your behalf, or investing in some way at your home so you're a bit less dependent on oil or chemicals? It's not just driving less, or driving more economically, it could mean something as simple as composting instead of buying fertilizer for the yard or garden. The petro-chemical companies (get it?--oil AND chemicals) might notice either way. Buy the materials to build a good compost heap, or get a tumbler for your compost if you need to protect it from rodents.

I also avoid most of the soft drinks and fast food these days, but for a different reason. I send some cash each month to a friend whose business is struggling to recover from the Sept. 11 events--he lives in lower Manhattan and is self-employed, eating rice pudding three times a day. I can't afford to send much, but I feel it would be unconscionable to continue eating fast food and drinking junk soda while my friend slides into malnourishment for lack of variety in his diet. The good news is that he is close to getting the business back up and running again.

My kids know where the money is going, and don't complain about the lack of McDonalds or Burger King. It means those rare occasions when we do go out, it's a real treat.

And for an idea of just what is in those fast, genetically modified, sugar and salt charged meals, take a look at Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by Eric Schlosser.

SRS