National Geographic E-cigarette Article

[McDougal]

A generally favorable article that outlines some environmental benefits of e-cigarettes. Enjoy.

Cigarettes vs. e-Cigarettes: Which Is Less Environmentally Harmful? – News Watch

 

[hairball]

Thank you for posting the article. Finally, an enjoyable read.

 

[tommy2bad]

Notice how the comments section has so few negative comments compared to even 12 months ago.
Apart from eletricman but he's nuts. Word is getting out and public opinion is changing.

 

[jj2]

Nice .

 

[Queenb]

'twas a very good read I had never looked at ecigs benefiting the environment !

 

[CountSmackula]

Thanks for the link! I made sure to post my positive experiences in the comment section.

 

[McDougal]

Notice how the comments section has so few negative comments compared to even 12 months ago.
Apart from eletricman but he's nuts. Word is getting out and public opinion is changing.

I think so. With more information coming out, I would say the industry is in a much better place than it was even a year ago. For months, hit pieces were playing to a public that didn't know anything about PVs, other than the overwhelmingly negative tone of the mainstream articles and repeated FDA references. Now there are more people sharing their experience about using them, and more rational, credible publishing, such as from Dr. Michael Siegel from the School of Public Health at Boston University.

I think National Geographic took a well-rounded approach here.

 

[McDougal]

I just realized that Bill Godshall already posted a thread on this article. Sorry!

 

[Petrodus]

Notice how the comments section has so few negative comments compared
to even 12 months ago. Word is getting out and public opinion is changing.

The e-cig movement will not "tuck tail" and go quietly into the dark.

You can't control thought unless you can control the Internet
When the government takes charge of the Internet...
You can kiss truth and freedoms good-bye

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

Notice how the comments section has so few negative comments compared to even 12 months ago.
Apart from eletricman but he's nuts. Word is getting out and public opinion is changing.

I've noticed this in my shop over the last 17 months since I switched brands to the smokeFreE-cigarette, even with the VV box mod I use most people ask me how I like it instead of what is that. When I started using minis in Nov of 2010 it usually was what is it and required a fairly detailed explanation. Now most people seem to know what it is and are interested in how well it has worked for me and some want more information. I just give them a card for ECF and tell them to come here and they can find just about anything they want to know about them.

I think we are getting closer to critical mass and the ANTZ are going to have to start coming up with bigger lies to fight us as more people are seeing their friends and family switch and start to regain their health.

 

[Myk]

The only thing is the article relies on the new "green" anti-tobacco lies. The "tar, nicotine, and other toxins that can leach into the ground" are all biodegradable. "or get eaten by fish or birds." Birds don't eat them, they use them for nesting materials that provide a lot of warmth.
It ignores the fact that batteries are not environmentally kind to produce or dispose of. Or that fiber filled cartridges (and worse cartomizers) are disposed of at a great rate. Or that all of the hardware is generally short lived for being hardware.

When your own back yard is filled with dog poo you shouldn't laugh too loud when the cops come to tell your neighbor their yard is full of dog poo.

 

[Petrodus]

The ANTZ couldn't care less about "harm reduction"
Quit or Die ... They don't care

When they no longer can fight based on health concerns ...
They will just switch to "Save the Children"

We didn't give up when the FDA fought to ban the sale of e-cigs
and ANTZ aren't going to give up.

The ANTZ will not be satisfied until even the memory of tobacco
is erased from the face of the planet. So, if anything even reminds
them of tobacco ... Ban It

 

[MattZuke]

It ignores the fact that batteries are not environmentally kind to produce or dispose of. Or that fiber filled cartridges (and worse cartomizers) are disposed of at a great rate.

I would agree a filter and a cartomizer represent equal volumes of fill, however, I'd say I go though 1 a week rather than 20 in a day. So on that level I'd presume e-cigarettes are a net win.

But batteries, you have a point. We consume roughly 16g (14500 specs) of li-ion batteries/year. It's a question what produces more pollution, 7300grams of organic material from a weed that is burned, or producing a 16g battery, and vaporizing .5-1l of liquid, and maybe 50 cartomizers.

 

[kristin]

I would agree a filter and a cartomizer represent equal volumes of fill, however, I'd say I go though 1 a week rather than 20 in a day. So on that level I'd presume e-cigarettes are a net win.

But batteries, you have a point. We consume roughly 16g (14500 specs) of li-ion batteries/year. It's a question what produces more pollution, 7300grams of organic material from a weed that is burned, or producing a 16g battery, and vaporizing .5-1l of liquid, and maybe 50 cartomizers.

Well...it could be argued that batteries do contain recyclable materials, so green vapers could drop them off at a recycling center rather than a landfill. There's nothing left to recycle in a spent cigarette. Additionally, cigarette use also often entails throwing away numerous disposable lighters or empty cans of lighter fuel from refillable lighters, so the butts aren't the only trash associated with them. If you really want to break it down to the extreme - vapers allowed to vape indoors do not constantly open exterior doors - which reduces heating and cooling efficiency nor does vaping indoors require the extra energy use of smoke ventilation systems in smoking areas (if any still exist, lol!)

The whole argument is a bit silly considering cigarette-related trash is just a blip on the radar for environmental concerns compared to the billions of pounds of other consumer trash and waste of resources by humans. The idea of calling out smokers as somehow being worse offenders is just another way to vilify them. No one vilifies parents for disposable diapers, drivers for using gasoline-powered cars or beverage drinkers for bottle caps and plastic rings or food eaters for the massive amounts of packaging used or the perfectly good food tossed because it's slightly blemished. They urge people to be more environmentally conscientious, but no one gets called evil for their trash except big corporations and smokers.

 

[Myk]

I would agree a filter and a cartomizer represent equal volumes of fill, however, I'd say I go though 1 a week rather than 20 in a day. So on that level I'd presume e-cigarettes are a net win.

But batteries, you have a point. We consume roughly 16g (14500 specs) of li-ion batteries/year. It's a question what produces more pollution, 7300grams of organic material from a weed that is burned, or producing a 16g battery, and vaporizing .5-1l of liquid, and maybe 50 cartomizers.

My point was, don't be too thrilled that they speak of the relatively minimal environmental impact of cigarettes when e-cigs have their own environmental impact. Until the antis at the highest levels embrace e-cigs as a valid alternative we should expect that they will eventually turn on us.

2 PAD+ people toss(ed) butts in this yard since 1988 and don't pick them up. You can't find them (and I try because I sometimes use them as tree limb spreaders to train my fruit trees). So I'm quite skeptical about the impact of butts or carts.

 

[McDougal]

I would agree a filter and a cartomizer represent equal volumes of fill, however, I'd say I go though 1 a week rather than 20 in a day. So on that level I'd presume e-cigarettes are a net win.

But batteries, you have a point. We consume roughly 16g (14500 specs) of li-ion batteries/year. It's a question what produces more pollution, 7300grams of organic material from a weed that is burned, or producing a 16g battery, and vaporizing .5-1l of liquid, and maybe 50 cartomizers.

Batteries could be recycled much like cell phones, correct?

That would be a good program to start at ECF.

 

[Myk]

Batteries could be recycled much like cell phones, correct?

That would be a good program to start at ECF.

Yes, but the making of batteries and the recycling of them has an impact. Just like recycling paper sounds good but is really messy.

 

[MattZuke]

Well...it could be argued that batteries do contain recyclable materials, so green vapers could drop them off at a recycling center rather than a landfill.

True, but it takes energy to recycle anything, energy typically from coal. Batteries require 5-10x the energy to recycle over mining. The recovery rate of Li-ion technology isn't great, it's not like lead that you can smash em up, melt what sinks, and skim the top for copper. It's not economically viable at present. The presumption at present is li-ion batteries are safe for landfills, unless they have a charge, and safe for incineration.

 

[TennDave]

Just fished a dead 18650 out of the garbage...the guilt was killing me.

 

[kristin]

True, but it takes energy to recycle anything, energy typically from coal. Batteries require 5-10x the energy to recycle over mining. The recovery rate of Li-ion technology isn't great, it's not like lead that you can smash em up, melt what sinks, and skim the top for copper. It's not economically viable at present. The presumption at present is li-ion batteries are safe for landfills, unless they have a charge, and safe for incineration.

Well, how about the fact that our devices do use rechargeable batteries and not the one-time use & toss ones? I also use those newfangled light bulbs, too.

One has to wonder how many of those folks making a stink about cigarette butts drive electric cars (which could be argued to be a wash as far as good for the environment), recycle everything possible, use energy efficient appliances and light bulbs, have their house fully insulated with new windows, use cloth rags/grocery bags/diapers, walk instead of driving, etc. I know plenty of non-smokers who have a "carbon footprint" a heck of a lot bigger than mine. (For the record, I made every effort to throw butts in the trash can when I smoked and my husband always saved his in his jeans pocket and I had to remember to check for them before doing the laundry!)