[NatureNS] the stat that woke me up

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From: Parker Donham <parker@donham.ca>
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2019 13:19:03 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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&gt;    &lt;https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2017/09/30/some-birds-use-discarded-cigarettes-to-
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Clarification:

People seem to have reached the conclusion that I am advocating the
introduction of cigarette butts into birds' nests, or even more remarkably,
that I support cigarette smoking. For the record, I sat with my mother as
she died a cruel death from emphysema due to a lifetime of smoking. I
detest smoking, and if it were up to me, cigarette company executives would
serve long prison terms. I also know that hassling people addicted to
cigarettes is not a productive strategy.

I was responding to a few emails in which group members recalled, but could
not put their fingers on, a study about birds incorporating butts in their
nests, and the possible insecticidal effect thereof. I linked to a number
of stories in the popular press, and to the abstract of the original
Mexican study.

I wasn't advocating anything, merely trying to fill an information hole in
the conversation.

Now for some actual advocacy: To echo what Don MacNeill said, countless
substances are beneficial in small doses but harmful in large amounts.
Paracelsus
<https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/03/meet-philippus-aureolus-theophrastus-bombastus-von-hohenheim/72579/>,
aka Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (1493-1541),
known as the father of modern toxicology, famously declared: *Dosis sola
facit venenum*, or more fully, in English, "Everything is poison; nothing
is poison. Dose alone makes the poison." Toxicity is not a binary concept
but a sliding scale; knowing the dose is critical to assessing safety. It
is a point environmentalists often miss.


On Sun, Jun 16, 2019 at 8:21 PM Mary Macaulay <marymacaulay@hotmail.com>
wrote:

> Please note that birds and other wildlife also directly ingest these
> highly poisonous butts - another way in which this highly toxic trash
> contributes to environmental harm. Hope no one on the list is excusing
> themselves from littering in this way thinking they are helping out
> wildlife ..??
>
> With kindest regards
>
> Mary (Macaulay), P.Eng.
> CEO Insect Recovery Project
> Social Enterprise - Tatamagouche Remember Adventures & Caper Cafe
> Bed & Breakfast, Pedal Buggy, bike, kayak, coaster & snowshoe rentals,
> great bird friendly coffee, organic baking, breakfast & pasta, soups,
> stews, vegan curries & chili, pollinator meadow, games & more!!
> (Cafe/Buggies Open Wed to Sunday: 8:00 am - 3 pm; Tatamagouche B&B phone
> me directly , Angevine Lake Chalet - book via Airbnb)
> RememberAdventures.ca & InsectRecovery.org
> 1-902-293-1533
> Twitter @RememberTata & @InsectRecovery
>
> On Jun 16, 2019, at 6:27 PM, Parker Donham <parker@donham.ca> wrote:
>
> I asked Prof. Google about this, and she directed me to the following.
>
>    - From Scientific American:*  Cigarette Butts in Nests Deter Bird
>    Parasites
>    <https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/culturing-science/cigarette-butts-in-nests-deter-bird-parasites/>*
>    - From the Economist: *Some birds use discarded cigarettes to fumigate
>    their nests*
>    <https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2017/09/30/some-birds-use-discarded-cigarettes-to-fumigate-their-nests>
>    - From Nature: *City birds use cigarette butts to smoke out parasites
>    <https://www.nature.com/news/city-birds-use-cigarette-butts-to-smoke-out-parasites-1.11952>*
>    - From the New Scientist:  *From the New Scientist Birds use cigarette
>    butts for chemical warfare against ticks
>    <https://www.newscientist.com/article/2138655-birds-use-cigarette-butts-for-chemical-warfare-against-ticks/>*
>
> These reports in the popular press all seem based on a single study by by
> three Mexico City researchers published in Biology Letters. The Royal
> Society has an abstract (but the full paper is behind the usual
> unconscionable academic paywall):
>
>    - *Incorporation of cigarette butts into nests reduces nest
>    ectoparasite load in urban birds: new ingredients for an old recipe?*
>    <https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0931>
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jun 15, 2019 at 12:17 PM Ken J MacAulay <kenmacaulay@eastlink.ca>
> wrote:
>
>> John there was a recent article on-line about wild bees using plastic to
>> line their  nests.  That article also mentioned birds using cigarette
>> butts
>> in their nests to kill mites etc.  Like you, though, I can't remember if
>> it
>> was on a news feed or a FaceBook article.  Here is a link to an article
>> that
>> mentions the butt use at the end of the piece.
>>
>>
>> https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/06/wild-bees-building-homes-from-plastic/
>>
>> Ken MacAulay
>> Port Mouton, NS
>>
>>
>
> --
> *Parker Donh**am*
>   +1-902-565-5555
>   parker@donham.ca
>   Contrarian.ca
>
>
>

-- 
*Parker Donh**am*
  +1-902-565-5555
  parker@donham.ca
  Contrarian.ca

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">Cla=
rification:</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small"><br=
></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">People seem t=
o have reached the conclusion that I am advocating the introduction of ciga=
rette butts into birds&#39; nests, or even more remarkably, that I support =
cigarette smoking. For the record, I sat with my mother as she died a cruel=
 death from emphysema due to a lifetime of smoking. I detest smoking, and i=
f it were up to me, cigarette company executives would serve long prison te=
rms. I also know that hassling people addicted to cigarettes is not a produ=
ctive strategy.<br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:sm=
all"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">I was=
 responding to a few emails in which group members recalled, but could not =
put their fingers on, a study about birds incorporating butts in their nest=
s, and the possible insecticidal effect thereof. I linked to a number of st=
ories in the popular press, and to the abstract of the original Mexican stu=
dy. <br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small"><br></=
div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small">I wasn&#39;t adv=
ocating anything, merely trying to fill an information hole in the conversa=
tion.</div><div