Skeptical Kiwi

In the previous post, I gave a brief overview of New Zealand, our flora and fauna and the problem that we face. In this one, I want to write a (slightly) more in-depth explanation of how 1080 works, what it is and why we use it. What is it? Sodium fluoroacetate is a white powder, which is the salt form of fluoroacetate, a toxin found naturally in around 40 different species of plants around the world. Fluoroacetate interrupts the citric acid cycle or Krebs cycle, an important part of respiration in the body, right before the electron transport chain. It achieves this by inhibiting enzymes, such as aconitase. Without the Krebs cycle, the body cannot turn food into energy and therefore cannot carry on normal functions, like breathing or pumping blood around the body, which leads to death. The result is similar in all animals and is deadly in the right amount. Because of course, THE DOSE MAKES THE POISON . http://www.1080facts.co.nz/ Sodium fluoroacetate is easily di...

I've been posting a lot lately about 1080. No, I don't mean the screen resolution! A few people (mostly overseas) have asked me what it is. So, I'm going to write a few posts about it to clear some stuff up. This one will be a general overview of our country and why we use 1080. Since I started the page, I was asked by several fellow kiwis to do some stuff about 1080. I started a few times. Some of these next few posts will be made up of material from those drafts. Because of the recent activity from the anti1080 crowd, I thought I would go all out on this. Here we go. Sodium fluoroacetate, or 1080, is a highly contentious topic in New Zealand. As of late, anti1080 protesters have tried to make sure everyone knows about their cause. Most of them have abandoned reason, fact, sense or even coherence in an effort that could be likened to a baby wanting, needing, everyone in the street to know that they are upset. I have several posts on my Facebook page that show...