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is it bad to throw your ciggerets butts in the lake?

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  • Super User
Let me know when someone does the research to find out how many cigarette butts it would take to poison a lake of say, 20,000 acres. In the meantime, I will continue to flick my butts into the water. If this is of great concern to you, let me know and I will start marking a waypoint on my GPS every time I flick a butt. After I get off the lake I'll provide you with the exact coordinates to enable you to search for those nasty, poisonous, polluting little cigarette butts. ::)

So if someone dumped their ash tray on your front porch, that would be ok?

Poison or not, they are litter. I think the same of people flicking butts that I would of someone dumping car batteries.

On the "poison" side of things, my old chews go in the water.

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  • Super User

Fourbizz, the proper analogy would be "If someone dropped an ash on my front porch."  On the scale of things it would be so minute as to be unnoticeable.  However, you've given me an idea.  I now know how to get rid of my old lead-acid batteries.  I used to take them for legal disposal.  I think now I will just throw them into the lake.

GEEEEEZ, dump your used motor oil there too while your at it!!!!!

  • Super User
GEEEEEZ, dump your used motor oil there too while your at it!!!!!

We're not supposed to do that?   :-?

GEEEEEZ, dump your used motor oil there too while your at it!!!!!

We're not supposed to do that? :-?

OH BOY..................................................... :-X

  • Super User

Yes.

We are the caretakers of the water and by throwing anything into the water is an insult to other fishermen and the water.   >:(

  • Super User
Fourbizz, the proper analogy would be "If someone dropped an ash on my front porch." On the scale of things it would be so minute as to be unnoticeable. However, you've given me an idea. I now know how to get rid of my old lead-acid batteries. I used to take them for legal disposal. I think now I will just throw them into the lake.

You've got it all wrong Mike.  First you use them as a core-replacement.  Then you steal them back from the store, then you dump them in the lake.

They make mighty fine brushpile anchors.   :D

Posted by: Dink whisperer      Posted on: Yesterday at 10:45pm

GEEEEEZ, dump your used motor oil there too while your at it!!!!!

Burley Mulder wrote on Yesterday at 10:49pm:

We're not supposed to do that?

i do believe that the correct way to dispose of it would be to disperse it around your fence.... along all of the ant piles.

then put a match to it..... kills weeds, and pests..... great for the ecosystem, right?? ;D ;D ;D

  • Super User

I wonder what the comparison would be between a few butts and any of a few other things like used plastic worms, lost lead sinkers, or plastic pop and water bottles.  I wonder how much pollution gets into the water everyday from those old antique two strokes.

But at least no one had a problem with peeing over the side of the boat!

Let me know when someone does the research to find out how many cigarette butts it would take to poison a lake of say, 20,000 acres. In the meantime, I will continue to flick my butts into the water. If this is of great concern to you, let me know and I will start marking a waypoint on my GPS every time I flick a butt. After I get off the lake I'll provide you with the exact coordinates to enable you to search for those nasty, poisonous, polluting little cigarette butts. ::)

I won't try to be fancy with some sort of analogy, but to me your attitude is no different than the person who thinks it's ok to leave one can on the beach, throw one wrapper into the water, drop a single Styrofoam cup in the river, or do any other small thing that can't possibly harm the environment on it's own.  That thinking is so flawed as to not be worthy of debate any more.

I don't even know you, but that statement alone makes me think you're kind of an...well, I can't say what I think.  While you're post would be deemed ok me telling you what I think would probably get me a ban. ::)

Fourbizz, the proper analogy would be "If someone dropped an ash on my front porch." On the scale of things it would be so minute as to be unnoticeable.

Not that it is any of my business... but just how big is your porch?

I took some liberties (*) with the numbers I could find:

26.2 million men in the U.S. smoke, if just one percent of that number fish and throw ten butts in the water, the butts would fill up a warehouse that is 42 ft wide by 42 ft long by 12 ft tall.

Thats some front porch you got there Long Mike. You must be rich.

(That is just one trips worth, by the way.)

*(assuming 10 butts equal 1 cubic inch [1.25x0.5x1.5]... it has been along time since I have really tested my math skills)

*(assuming 262,000 cubic inches, or 21,833 cubic feet)

*(assuming 1% of the male smokers in the U.S. fish and throw ten butts in the water)

I will tell you what I think;

Muddy,

I will tell you what I think. Based on this thread alone you are defending a member who arrogantly offers to provide GPS coordinates for others to pick up HIS trash. Again, based on this thread alone, I do not care if Long Mike walks on water and cures cancer... by his post he comes off as the very worst type of sportsman. Until you defended him I pretty much assumed he was being sarcastic in his cigarette butt post. But now, with your defensive counter post, I am no longer sure. Perhaps you tolerate his littering because of his 'high character', but that is your choice, not mine.

In the event he was being sarcastic (which I hope to be true), you have to realize that vague sarcasm will solicit responses like mine and Desultory's. Long Mike very well may be a stand up guy, but in this thread he comes off anything but....

Muddy,

I understand what you are saying, however, some of us are rather busy in our lives and cannot afford to make 12 plus posts a day on a fishing message board. We pop in, take a look around, kick the tires and move on with our lives. We are not afforded the luxury of establishing a personal re pore with fellow message board members. You know this, as does Mike. Some people are rather good at disguising sarcasm. You know this also and yet you defend this particular sarcasm... like it is everyone elses duty to know Mike for the man he is. You acknowledged the sarcasm but get defensive when someone does not see it as sarcasm. That is BS and you know it.

Back on topic... throwing cigarette butts in the water is bogus. I do not care how many generators you have.....

  • Super User

Anyone have any cigarette butts they want to get rid of, I am going fishing today and will gladly throw em over board, I am willing to pick them up. Pics later

  • Super User

Littering is a pet peeve of mine.  There is no justifiable excuse for being a slob on property that isn't your own.

I'll guarantee that those who dispose of any form of trash on the water would be the first to howl if someone else's dog takes a dump in their yard, or tosses trash out of a car onto their property.

Our home is on a wooded lot.  We removed only the trees necessary for construction of our home, and a septic system.

We have a bit of lawn around the house, but mostly it is woodland in its natural state, with only the briars and poison ivy being removed.

Our neighborhood is composed of homes with treed front yards, and other homes with most of the trees removed and lawns going right up to the road.

Passersby rarely toss their litter onto those with lawns out to the road, while those of us who left propery in its natural state along the road have to pick up cigarette butts, beer cans, nip bottles, losing scratch tickets, soda cans, beer bottles, McDonald, Burger King, Wendy etc, bags and cups, etc.

People who dispose of their old butts, cigar stubs and whatever on golf courses or other public land show a serious disregard and disrespect for everyone else who owns or uses that property.

The nicest guy in the world, or the most viscious thug, does not excuse the first while condemning the second when it comes to littering.

Several years ago, I was heading home, when a bag of trash came flying out the side window of a pickup truck I was behind, onto the property of a person who happened to have a wooded front yard,

I followed the truck to its destination, then I returned, picked up the bag, put a few tears in it so it would spew its contents on impact, and tossed it onto that person's front yard.

The way I see things...

You can't get wrapped around the axel about other people, you will have a miserable life.  They are going to do what they are going to do, and eventually it will catch up with them.  If I see someone dumping motor oil (which I actually have) I just got their plates and called the DNR.  I was then asked to write a written statement a few weeks later, as I'm guessing the person was caught.

You can't stop people from littering, all you can do is prevent it yourself by not participating and try to pass on the good habits to the people who observe you.

  • Super User
The way I see things...

You can't get wrapped around the axel about other people, you will have a miserable life. They are going to do what they are going to do, and eventually it will catch up with them. If I see someone dumping motor oil (which I actually have) I just got their plates and called the DNR. I was then asked to write a written statement a few weeks later, as I'm guessing the person was caught.

You can't stop people from littering, all you can do is prevent it yourself by not participating and try to pass on the good habits to the people who observe you.

Sanity at last 8-)

  • Super User
Well...Here's another take...

I fish pubic ponds a lot and I carry a trash bag stuffed in my

pocket. On any given day, I remove a few cans, bottles and

wrappers. I suggest everyone give this a shot, it's really no

big deal once you get started.

8-)

If everyone followed Kent's lead, the world would be a much better place. Some of us already do. As a lakefront property owner, I can tell you cigarette buts are the single most unnatural thing I have to pick up off my beach. Cut up weeds are the worst but that is unavoidable. Cigarette butts are not bio-degradeable. Neither are aluminum cans, plastic bottles and cups, all of which I have cleaned up. Littering = laziness. Koopa put it well. You are never going to stop everyone but educating as many people as possible is a start. There are some ramps in my area where they actually look in your cooler and make sure come back in with what you went out with. These are private ramps though.

P.S. Mike- I hope you're kidding.

  • Super User

Quote from CWB:P.S. Mike- I hope you're kidding.

Followed Mikes boat yesterday and he gave us GPS points of what went overboard ; here is what we collected:  

post-16127-130163013527_thumb.jpg

I have a confession to make. After a night at Hooters eating wings I did not make it back to the dock! I believe most are kidding!

  • Super User

Some people care and some people don't care. I fall in the "I care group."

I don't know any one else on this forum well enough to make rash judgements about them personally and don't understand how any body can pass judgement on any one by reading a few posts.

We're all human and some times get caught-up in a few soap-box debates (me included). Every one is entitled to their own opinions but let's not get too vicious toward one another.

  • Super User

Why would anyone throw litter anywhere..? This is your country, state, city/town ect..wethere it's dry land, or a wet lake..Do people toss trash in their yard..? I have No patience for litterbugs.. >:(

  • Super User
Why would anyone throw litter anywhere..? This is your country, state, city/town ect..wethere it's dry land, or a wet lake..Do people toss trash in their yard..? I have No patience for litterbugs.. >:(

Because they are giant douchebags with no sense of morality.

Why would anyone throw litter anywhere..? This is your country, state, city/town ect..wethere it's dry land, or a wet lake..Do people toss trash in their yard..? I have No patience for litterbugs.. >:(

Because of a lack of respect. Pretty common these days.  :-/

Littering a body of water is about the worst form of common douchebaggery.

Tell ya what...how would he feel if I show up at his house and throw cigarette butts into his fish tank, pool, kitchen sink?

I MAY come off a little militant here but really I am sickened by folks who make up excuses for why they don't carry their OWN trash back with them and throw it out on a trail, river, lake, etc.

I get especially offended by fisherman who do this. I do a lot of trout fishing in the mountains and i have come within inches of lacking the restraint to viciously beat someone down for throwing worm packages, extra line, plastic bags, etc into the streams. Sometimes you lose your line, you can;t get to it and you accidentally drop it in the streams, accidents happen but for those of us who spend so much time in the natural world, fishing and taking in the beauty of it all, I would expect more respect.

My oldest girl, once and only once, threw trash into Lake Wylie. needless to say she went into the water to get it and from the experience she will not ever throw anything in again.

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