Do I actually want environmental science?

Hi I'm looking for someone in the field of ES to provide a little info for me.

I have always wanted to be part of the field but now I am not so sure. Specifically, I want to go into sustainability work.

I have a question: In environmental science, is it ever about the "top-level" sort of work? I'm talking about the people who created living concrete out of a bacteria, or making a bacteria that can eat plastic in the ocean, or algae that can become oil? These are the kinds of projects I want to work on, writing 100-page long papers with like 20 other researchers.

However now I am starting to realize Environmental Science isn't like that and I am wondering what major I'm supposed to take instead. Instead what it seems like is, it's becoming an environmental consultant, or learning about codes and making sure no one builds anything on bad soil or emits contaminants and things like that. How do I actually go do the pro stuff?

Side question: What about genetics and using the CRISPR to edit genomes in plants?

Hope this makes some sense. Thank you.