The Cigarette Butt Ecological Nightmare Problem - What it is, and what to do and not to do about it.

I'm sorry but I can't take seriously anyone who cites Wikipedia.... It's an open source data collection that can be edited by anyone. That's kind of like citing a tabloid really.

I have no doubt that what this article claims is true and I'm not trying to justify smoking or littering, however, I just can't help but think that the solution is always made the responsibility of the end user and never the manufacturer. So rather than manufacturing a biodegradable cigarette filter and less toxic tobacco, the solution California comes up with is an out right ban on filters. They make up draconian laws for the smokers and let manufactures go to do business as usual, typical in my opinion.

Also, these people who are so concerned about the environment that they push these types of laws through, do so because it's easier to beat on the little people than to deal with the real problems. With Fukushima still spewing, and hundreds more potential Fukus all over the planet, and the Pacific Ocean dump, and the highly toxic Russian dumps in the Arctic ocean, constant oil spills, poison wastes injected into ground water, etc., and all they can do is study the effects of discarded cigarette filters! Way to save the planet guys, good job, not!

They are wasting time deflecting from the real issues with crap like this.

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks
You really wouldn't like UK laws but I guess it will only be a matter of time before you get them too.

Smoking in a car whilst driving is considered careless driving or narrowed down to driving without due care and attention. So is eating or drinking your coffee. All carry fines and penalty points and proper order too imho. All it takes is for the cig to stick to your lips before you go to flick the ash, and your fingers run down in and pull the hot bit off (come on we have all done that!) and it drop down on the seat between your jewels and you end up trying to put it out instead of watching the road. Maybe more of a problem on our densely populated roads.
I have also had an instance where the car in front unloads his ciggy butt out of his window for it to land on my windscreen. Burnt a small notch in my wiper. Wasn't impressed.

Local council will also fine you on the spot for dropping a butt in the street. Littering.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

That is exactly what it is MichiganSwampBuck.

When they count individual cigarette butts to make it into some enormous number so that people will get alarmed, they know exactly what they are doing.

Is any other kind of trash counted individually or is it just reported by wieght?

In Canada, they put fire retardant chemicals in the paper. If they were so concerned about "chemicals" in our environment, they would have thought twice about it!

If they are not concerned, why should I be?

Tired of Control Freaks

One look at this profound video on the impact of earths environment caused by man and you your cigarette butts will be the last thing you'll worry about.

It is a hell of an eye opener and will make you angry and sad at the same time.

I think they should look at all the chewing gum I see imbedded in every public sidewalk I ever used and do a environment study on that too. I bet it does horrible things to the environment.

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

Indignity??? Seriously

You spoiled little brat. Why don't you look at the world outside of yourself. You want to see indignity?? How about little girls that must go sell themselves because they need to feed themselves. That is indignity.

You can't figure out a solution for your coffee? What did coffee drinkers do before their were cup holders? You must be a young punk because then you'd know there were no cup holders in cars until a few years ago.

I have 3 cup holders right by my arm and I still keep my coffee on my lap, in a portable mug that doesn't spill. My phone, water and other crap tends to take up the cup holders, but you don't see me whining about what to do with my coffee.

Seriously grow up and take responsibility. You are trying to rationalize your childish behavior of littering by telling me you don't know what to do with your coffee?

a reply to: sierra25ni

Any excuse to take your money, right?

So have YOU done anything, anything at all, to fight back against this inhumane treatment?

Tired of Control

originally posted by: zardust
a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

Indignity??? Seriously

You spoiled little brat. Why don't you look at the world outside of yourself. You want to see indignity?? How about little girls that must go sell themselves because they need to feed themselves. That is indignity.

You can't figure out a solution for your coffee? What did coffee drinkers do before their were cup holders? You must be a young punk because then you'd know there were no cup holders in cars until a few years ago.

I have 3 cup holders right by my arm and I still keep my coffee on my lap, in a portable mug that doesn't spill. My phone, water and other crap tends to take up the cup holders, but you don't see me whining about what to do with my coffee.

Seriously grow up and take responsibility. You are trying to rationalize your childish behavior of littering by telling me you don't know what to do with your coffee?

What does any if this have to do with cigarette butts? Just wondering

a reply to: zardust

There is always someone worse off than you are! There are little girls selling themselves just to survive? There are senior citizens who smoke who froze to death trying to respect the law.

As for your suggestion that I take my responsibility - the answer is NO!

In the 60s, they had jim crow laws for black people in the United States - until one day, a woman by the name of Rosa Parks had just a little bit more indignity than she could stomach at the moment,

Jim Crow laws are now used to humiliate smokers - and I have had a little more indignity than I can stomach. I will not be a "good" smoker. I will be a thoroughly "bad, irresponsible" smokers who has absolutely no respect for anyone or anything until I get some.

And again - you have failed to answer why smokers can't have ashtrays in their car?

Tired of Control

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

You CAN have ash trays in your car, bring one in there. Oh yeah the indignity of you having to figure out your coffee. Tell me again how noble you are for littering? Fight the power. Did you seriously equate discrimination based on skin color and discrimination based on smoking?

Yep you did, you also rationalized your personal responsibility away because there are bigger problems with pollution. No Horse Manure Sherlock. But that doesn't take away from the fact that you are adding to the problem by being lazy.

Oh BTW, you are worried about the safety of putting out a cig in a portable ash tray, but not the act of lighting up, or drinking coffee?

a reply to: JohnPhoenix

I live in a small fishing town. Most everybody around here is a fisherman and most all of them smoke. I have never seen an ash tray on a boat before... And guess what? There hasn't been any massive die-offs of any fish! I can still eat my croaker, flounder, shrimp, and crabs! And they're all still very delicious!

Another thing... If they're not biodegradable AT ALL then why aren't there pure mounds of butts on country roadsides and off the side of smokers porches? (The ones who don't use an ash tray)

My cousins dog eats the butts he tosses to the ground and she ain't dead yet.

I'm not saying they are completely non toxic but I am saying maybe they're not as bad as this "research" suggests.

a reply to: Expat888

lol... i saw an e cigarette cigar, even a pipe one!...lol I just purchased an e cigarette (cigarette) kit - figure I'm gonna try it because i need to quit bad. For me it's a must right now.

Anyway, just throwing butt's is bad... just like any other trash it should be disposed of like you do anything else. Both my husband and I field strip when we are not home and dispose of the butts in the trash ONLY. We don't litter.

In that no - littering thing I agree with the OP. Everything else should be - to each his (or her) own!

a reply to: OpinionatedB

So can you tell me why I can't have an ashtray in my car?

Anti-smokers fully intended to remove all ashtrays from smokers and then donated money to Ocean clean up organizations to have cigarette butts counted. They created the problem and I will not dance to resolve the problem for them.

I will not walk around with dirty butts in my purse and pockets.

Want to control butt litter? - Bring back ashtrays

Tired of Control Freaks

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

Another question or just food for thought!

If I can't have an ashtray when I smoke - why should my tax dollars pay for "street furniture" including garbage cans, recycling bins etc. and for the people who are paid to empty and maintain them?

Can't people just do what smokers are expected to do - carry their trash with them until they get home and empty it in their own garbage cans!

If its good enough for a filthy old smoker to just naturally be expected to carry their dirty butts with them, why can't normal, clean, caring folk do the same?

Tired of Control Freaks

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

I don't understand why they took out ashtrays... i think it was because more people became non-smokers and were only using the cig lighter to charge things...

now though some car manufacturers started giving you the option of having one again...Just order your next car with one.

I know I freaked out when they suddenly stopped! Didn't even know it til I went to put out a cigarette and the ash tray was - like no where! HA

originally posted by: 727Sky
a reply to: JohnPhoenix

Wow great write up and I certainly never knew much of the stuff you posted.. If everyone who smoked switched to unfiltered Lucky Strikes as my grand daddy used to smoke (died at 88 but would have lived until at least 90 if he had not smoked) then the problem would be solved, no ? Wonder if these new filters will be placed on some future manufactured Pot cigarette.. Now if they did that the whole flowers and planting thing makes sense.. Ta Da !

Or smoke cigars! No filters there, just good old fashioned biodegradable tobacco.


Seriously, why filters? Do people actually think they are "healthier" for using a filter?

a reply to: OpinionatedB

OpinatedB

Car manufacturers were approached and lobbied by anti-smoking organizations as a behavior modification device. If there are no ashtrays in cars, then the population is subtly nudged not to smoke in a car.

In short, its a deliberate campaign to deny ashtrays to smokers~

Tired of Control Freaks

a reply to: JohnPhoenix

The Anti Smoking Propaganda is bs. Butts degrade and go away.

You freakin' hippies eat things that are worse for you than cigarettes.

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

my God they lobby everything, literally everything. They lobby on every single topic they can think of! What makes you think ashtrays would be different than the other million things they lobby on.

If you don't agree with lobbying, then help to stop it. But ash trays aren't different or in any way unique to this phenomenon.