NationStates Jolt Archive

Ban filtered cigarettes.

I'm not anti-smoking - I really don't care what people do to themselves - but cigarette filters are a huge source of garbage. The number of cigarettes consumed in the world is staggering, and the pile of toxic waste that produces in the form of cigarette butts (filters) is really quite large.

So ban filtered cigarettes. You might create a market for reusable filters or cigarette holders (much the same way that distasteful packaging has created a market for reusable cigarette cases).

My plan to help the environment, do nothing. Nothing toughens you up like some pain and adversity. In theory all this pollution will make the earth stronger and more capable of dealing with pollution. Plus it doesn't require me to do anything special, which is nice.

Roumd up all the people who don't live a green lifestyle into camps and force them to convert or die.

I think information technology can make a difference to the environment - downloadable music, movies etc. Save on packaging, electronic document get rid of the need to have loads of paper copies.

Roumd up all the people who don't live a green lifestyle into camps and force them to convert or die.

California Uber Alles!

Ban filtered cigarettes.

I'm not anti-smoking - I really don't care what people do to themselves - but cigarette filters are a huge source of garbage. The number of cigarettes consumed in the world is staggering, and the pile of toxic waste that produces in the form of cigarette butts (filters) is really quite large.

So ban filtered cigarettes. You might create a market for reusable filters or cigarette holders (much the same way that distasteful packaging has created a market for reusable cigarette cases).

One would think someone could come up with a way to make the filters biodegradable.

Actually... that's quite a good idea. The removal of such a vital cigarette safety feature should have quite an effect on the mortality rates, which would in turn encourage more people to quit.

Obviously, people still won't be able to smoke the entire thing, but what they throw away will be a lot more biodegradable.

One would think someone could come up with a way to make the filters biodegradable.

I can't think who would buy them.

Or you could smoke roll-ups, in which the filters are three times smaller than packaged cigarettes.

Like driving a Prius instead of a Dodge.

Ban filtered cigarettes.

I'm not anti-smoking - I really don't care what people do to themselves - but cigarette filters are a huge source of garbage. The number of cigarettes consumed in the world is staggering, and the pile of toxic waste that produces in the form of cigarette butts (filters) is really quite large.

So ban filtered cigarettes. You might create a market for reusable filters or cigarette holders (much the same way that distasteful packaging has created a market for reusable cigarette cases).

Or, you know, actually enforce the anti-littering laws.

Or, you know, actually enforce the anti-littering laws.
Even if they dispose of it properly, it's still toxic trash.

And biodegradeable filters would just deposit the toxins back in the environment faster.

Just FYI ...

Cigarette filter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A cigarette filter has the purpose of reducing the amount of materials harmful to the health like tar and fine particles as combustion products in the smoke of a cigarette. Additionally, the filter makes the smoke somewhat milder, which is why some smokers break it off, in order to obtain a stronger taste.

With classic filter cigarettes, the filter is covered with a cork-colored mouthpiece. Nowadays, some cigarette brands use a white mouth piece, especially those which are oriented to a predominantly female target group.

Most factory-made cigarettes are equipped with a filter; those who roll their own can buy them in a tobacco store.

Manufacture
The raw material for the manufacture of cigarette filters is cellulose (obtained from wood). The cellulose is dissolved and regenerated as continuous synthetic fibers arranged into a bundle called tow. The cellulose is a substituted diacetate (actually 1.5 to 2.0 substitution range) cellulose, due to its chemical and physical processing. Triacetate cannot be used because it melts. This tow is compressed, shaped and cut to length to act as a filter. One older brand of cigarettes in the early 1950's actually used crocidolite asbestos for a time as part of the (Micronite) filter. Asbestos fiber is heatproof, insoluble and forms extremely fine fibers--the same characteristics that are not good in your lungs.

The initial use of filters in cigarettes was a move on the part of the manufacturers to reduce the production costs and increase profits. The US dept. of agricultures price support for the various grades of tobacco favored the use of #4 and 5 grade, included what were known as sand lugs and floor sweepings at 10 cents/lb versus #1 grade at close to 70 cents. Back In the forties it was actually less expensive to manufacture a filtered cigarette than a regular one. The filter masked the harsh cheap tobacco. It was simple enough to test this known fact. A filtered cigarette such as Viceroy or Parliament with the filter removed were practically unsmokable. The decline in sales in the U.S. of top grade tobaccos as a result of this shift left the US gov. having to buy and store tremendous quantities of top grades, which were sold at a loss (to the US taxpayer) to European manufacturers.

Additional functions of the filter
Especially with the so-called "light" cigarettes, the filter is provided with tiny holes. The smoke is thereby diluted with air, so that it contains less tar and nicotine. It is said however, in practical use, the average smoker covers parts of the holes with his fingers and lips, so that the inhaled smoke contains multiple times the concentration of tar and nicotine as stated on the pack, however anyone that actually smokes can tell a large difference between smoking a light and non-light cigarette.

Ultra-fine fibers
Cigarette filter fibers are considered to be much too large in diameter to be inhaled into the lungs. With inhalation, theoretically, fine fibers are transported into the lungs and the amount of inhaled substances increases. At the same time, the greater resistance when inhaling leads to a longer suction phase and thus to a deeper inhalation than with non-filter cigarettes--again theoretically. Thus, it is disputed whether filter cigarettes are less harmful than non-filtered.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigarette_filter"

I agree with requiring the filters be made of a totally biodegradable material, but, you would still have them filled with the carcinogens the filter is used to collect.

Diapers/maxi pads/tampons should be made from totally biodegradable materials. At least their contents are already biodegradable materials.

Even if they dispose of it properly, it's still toxic trash.


That's what landfills are for.

As I figure it, the proper place for all the toxins in the cigarettes is in the smoker, not stashed in some landfill somewhere.

As I figure it, the proper place for all the toxins in the cigarettes is in the smoker, not stashed in some landfill somewhere.

And guess what? They can't smoke the entire cigarette anyways, so there will still be toxins in the environment under your plan.

As I figure it, the proper place for all the toxins in the cigarettes is in the smoker, not stashed in some landfill somewhere.

Ultimately that's where they do get concentrated. But then we'll be burying all these toxin-loaded ex-smokers. Where does it end?

Ultimately that's where they do get concentrated. But then we'll be burying all these toxin-loaded ex-smokers. Where does it end?

Maybe-they could make new cigarettes out of deceased smokers ? Like a spam cigarette? They already have the tar and nicotene.

Maybe-they could make new cigarettes out of deceased smokers ? Like a spam cigarette? They already have the tar and nicotene.

And you get your daily protein, too. That could work.

My plan to help the environment, do nothing. Nothing toughens you up like some pain and adversity. In theory all this pollution will make the earth stronger and more capable of dealing with pollution. Plus it doesn't require me to do anything special, which is nice.

I like you way of thinking. Do nothing and it will fix itself. In that case, i better not get this bullet removed, my body will naturally compensate for it. :)

Ban filtered cigarettes.

I'm not anti-smoking - I really don't care what people do to themselves - but cigarette filters are a huge source of garbage. The number of cigarettes consumed in the world is staggering, and the pile of toxic waste that produces in the form of cigarette butts (filters) is really quite large.

Toxic waste? Maybe you call it toxic. Me, I call it mutagenic. We cigarette smokers are the herald of a new era of mankind... the next step in evolution, and if you're jealous of that that's just too bad. Adapt or die, that's the law of even an urban jungle.

Besides, you wouldn't want to come across as a bigot who hates mutant rights, do you?

Toxic waste? Maybe you call it toxic. Me, I call it mutagenic. We cigarette smokers are the herald of a new era of mankind... the next step in evolution, and if you're jealous of that that's just too bad. Adapt or die, that's the law of even an urban jungle.

Besides, you wouldn't want to come across as a bigot who hates mutant rights, do you?

Unless you have super cool powers, like a death ray coming from your penis, then you are not a true mutant, and thus I hate you. :)

Unless you have super cool powers, like a death ray coming from your penis, then you are not a true mutant, and thus I hate you. :)

So you hate non-mutants? Excellent. Join me and we will conquer the world of normals.

(And I do have a death-ray enabled on my penis. I mean, I will. Soon. Just give me a few seconds. wakka wakka)

Toxic waste? Maybe you call it toxic. Me, I call it mutagenic. We cigarette smokers are the herald of a new era of mankind... the next step in evolution, and if you're jealous of that that's just too bad. Adapt or die, that's the law of even an urban jungle.

Besides, you wouldn't want to come across as a bigot who hates mutant rights, do you?

Mutations don't even work remotely like that.

Ban filtered cigarettes.

I'm not anti-smoking - I really don't care what people do to themselves - but cigarette filters are a huge source of garbage. The number of cigarettes consumed in the world is staggering, and the pile of toxic waste that produces in the form of cigarette butts (filters) is really quite large.

So ban filtered cigarettes. You might create a market for reusable filters or cigarette holders (much the same way that distasteful packaging has created a market for reusable cigarette cases).
You must be joking. Your master plan to help the environment is something lame, irrelevant, and unimportant, but contentious and hard to impliment?

if you really want to do something, take the bus, take a cloth bag to the grocery store, recycle, and make a compost. Buy local food or grow your own. Take your house off-grid and investigate sustainable energy sources.

Cigarette filters....jesus.

You must be joking. Your master plan to help the environment is something lame, irrelevant, and unimportant, but contentious and hard to impliment?

if you really want to do something, take the bus, take a cloth bag to the grocery store, recycle, and make a compost. Buy local food or grow your own. Take your house off-grid and investigate sustainable energy sources.

Cigarette filters....jesus.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

Ban filtered cigarettes.

I'm not anti-smoking - I really don't care what people do to themselves - but cigarette filters are a huge source of garbage. The number of cigarettes consumed in the world is staggering, and the pile of toxic waste that produces in the form of cigarette butts (filters) is really quite large.

So ban filtered cigarettes. You might create a market for reusable filters or cigarette holders (much the same way that distasteful packaging has created a market for reusable cigarette cases).

Shouldn't we leave it up to the market?

You must be joking. Your master plan to help the environment is something lame, irrelevant, and unimportant, but contentious and hard to impliment?

if you really want to do something, take the bus, take a cloth bag to the grocery store, recycle, and make a compost. Buy local food or grow your own. Take your house off-grid and investigate sustainable energy sources.

Cigarette filters....jesus.

See, that would require him to put effort into it, so it must be bad.

That's what landfills are for.
the best thing we can do for the enviroment is not have landfills and start recycling. Recycling has uncountable benefits to the enviroment.

the best thing we can do for the enviroment is not have landfills and start recycling. Recycling has uncountable benefits to the enviroment.

No shit. Hell, I've carried recyclable materials to another country to ensure that they were recycled properly.

We still need landfills for stuff that can't be recycled.

Just shoot it into space.

Done.

Just shoot it into space.

Done.
Uh, NO! To even get into a low orbit with conventional rockets takes a mass ratio of about 4. And there is no reason to throw away perfectly good matter that could be recycled into something else. I don't know what you'd make with fag butts, but maybe someone'll figure it out some day.

Roumd up all the people who don't live a green lifestyle into camps and force them to convert or die.
Am I the only one who finds this disturbing?

My plan to help the environment, do nothing. Nothing toughens you up like some pain and adversity. In theory all this pollution will make the earth stronger and more capable of dealing with pollution. Plus it doesn't require me to do anything special, which is nice.
I'm gonna bet that we finish ourselves off before we finish off the entire biosphere.

Uh, NO! To even get into a low orbit with conventional rockets takes a mass ratio of about 4. And there is no reason to throw away perfectly good matter that could be recycled into something else. I don't know what you'd make with fag butts, but maybe someone'll figure it out some day.


Am I the only one who finds this disturbing?

Wow. Someone can't take a joke.

Fag butts? WTF? How lame.

Wow. Someone can't take a joke.

Fag butts? WTF? How lame.
Fine, cigarette butts. Happy?

http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Image:50hitlers.JPG#file

I agreeeeee

Am I the only one who finds this disturbing?

I don'r believe it was intended as a serious argument.

No shit. Hell, I've carried recyclable materials to another country to ensure that they were recycled properly.

We still need landfills for stuff that can't be recycled.


Nah, we just need to start upp the recycling process for those products too... I can't think of even one thing that can't be recycled... except maybe... wall paint, but that you can always burn and produce energ :)

if you really want to do something, take the bus, take a cloth bag to the grocery store, recycle, and make a compost. Buy local food or grow your own. Take your house off-grid and investigate sustainable energy sources.
Well, to be fair, I don't.

But take a bus? Come on, I walk to work. I don't even own a car.

And recycling is often bad for the environment because it consumes more energy than making new goods.

Mutations don't even work remotely like that.

You were one of those people watching Star Wars who went, "Bah, sound can't travel through space. This is so totally unrealistic and therefore lame," weren't you?

I have , in the cause for enviromentalism, kept all my trash in my car (including cigarete butts). This saves landfill space.

My plan to help the environment, do nothing. Nothing toughens you up like some pain and adversity. In theory all this pollution will make the earth stronger and more capable of dealing with pollution. Plus it doesn't require me to do anything special, which is nice.

"Mother nature started this fight. now she wants to throw in the towel when the going gets tough" ~ C.M Burns