It's not "grease pollution" I'm referring to. It's chain lubrication, possible associated toxicity and their after effects. I don't think we need to be dumping PTFE and related compounds all over our bikes, which are then rinsed off while riding in what we consider "beautiful or pristine" lands.
Despite the sun expanding and engulfing the earth in about 4 billion years, I still think it's worthwhile to consider the toxins we dump in the environment. You may not give a crap, but I'd like to know my actions today aren't causing unnecessary birth defects in my kids or grand kids tomorrow. Your kids and grand kids included. Plus, aren't we learning that the difference between the "best PTFE-infused wonder-lube" and "cheapo oil" are nominal. So why to to the extra monetary and environmental cost to achieve diminishing returns?
Must we be so selfish as to say, "Well, the sun's gonna blow up some day, so I say just pollute the crap out of the place!" It isn't that, it's the kid dying of leukemia down the street in silence that is the point. It's the children suffering learning disabilities, thanks to our callousness, or hatred for "job-killing regulations." It's the "profit NOW, worry about the consequences later" that leads to so much future cost and suffering.
I think it's worth spending a few extra dimes today to prevent the millions spent down the road by future generations. Examples abound, but the Atlas uranium processing mill on the banks of the Colorado River in Moab, is a perfect one: $100 million in generated revenue against $1 billion cost to clean up - and counting. That's hubris on a grand scale. That's what we call a "really, REALLY bad return on investment!"
Being cavalier is all fun & games until it hits home and YOUR kid is dying of preventable disease caused by contamination of our water and food sources.