Well, birds anyway…
Birds are keeping their nests warm and pest-free by lining them with cigarette butts, research at St Andrews University has suggested.
The nicotine and other chemicals in discarded filters act as a natural pesticide that repels parasitic mites.
At the same time, the cellulose butts provide useful nest insulation.
So, it ain’t all bad, then? Just think about all those smokers doing their bit for the ecology. Somewhere, I think I can hear a brain or two imploding…
So it’s now environmentally advantageous to throw one’s discarded ciggy on the ground, and so councils will no longer slap us with an instant fine? No, I thought not.
Not sayin’ it’s right to chuck them on the floor…..just that ciggy butts piling up highlighted the sly cuts to street cleaning that has been going on for years. Wayyyyy before it was fashionable to screech about “cuts” and even before fortnightly bin collections came in. Councils were shamed, they didn’t like it so they passed the blame on.
Notice that they still don’t bother to clean them up. It helps reinforce anti-smoker rhetoric.
We’re looking out for the chicks. Won’t somebody think of the cheeeecks?
Nicotine is a poison.
It kills the bugs in the birds’ nests …
Trouble is, the “nicotinoid” insecticides are killing far too many bees …
NOT a good outcome.
Can’t remember which one but some sci-fi show once referred to the disappearance of bees as… in response to a threat to all life that humans were oblivious to … going back to their home planet.
I wonder if any other sci-fi nerd here knows which show….I’d be very impressed 😀
Dr Who, I believe.
Google defers. Well done, Sir ! 😀