Environmental pet peeve

As a former smoker, I'd like to point out that your issue is probably with litterers rather than smokers.
Not all smokers are litterers, nor all litterers smokers.

 

With you there Buck - studies show that it is worse for the environment and also has driven up cost of our food supply.

 

The problems are numerous, Boom.
Lowering CO2 emissions while potentially increasing NOX and PM pollution is nonsensical. At best, the conversion is NOX and PM neutral. It's a ridiculous option on its face.
The issues of production and necessary acreage just make it even more ridiculous.
The California Air Resources Board has developed an option that includes a multiple-fleet-fuel marketplace that would be a disaster.

 

I saw a study that showed if they used every ear of corn grown for ethanol it would cover less than 5% of our fuel needs.

 

All this talk about low-flow toilets reminded me of this : http://www.thejoketree.com/2008/04/12/toilet-police-no-joke/

(couldn't find the column on the Miami Herald's Web site, otherwise would have posted that link).

 

The production/acreage issue is a real problem with ethanol.
It represents a potential economic widfall for a lot of U.S. ag interests, but it's not viable.
And as far as the environmental effects, it is not a real improvement over petroleum-based fuels.
Less CO2 does not equal clean.

 

Another thing about adding ethanol is it kills your fuel economy. I've noticed a 5 mpg difference since it went into effect, or a 20% reduction in mileage (25 to barely 20). That's a lot for 10% ethanol.

Ethanol also fuels the drug trade because the demand causes the price of corn tortillas in Latin America to skyrocket and makes growing coca plants and cannabis more financially attractive.

It's stupid to burn your food anyway.

 

That drives me fucking crazy.

 

Whether walking or driving, flicking your cigarette butt to the ground drives means without exception that you're either ignorant or arrogant.

 

Is it somehow better if it's a candy wrapper or beer can?

 

Hard to tell. Kind of a gray area there. But it's definitely worse if the litter in question is a plastic six-pack wrapper because then you're also putting marine wildlife in harm's way, too.

 

Cigarette butts carry the potential for wildfire under the proper conditions, but if it's a question of littering, I don't see a difference.
I don't condone littering: cigarette butts, McDonald's wrappers or plastic six-pack rings.