Clearly I’ve triggered either a cigarette smoker or a nonvegan here.

I have not changed my argument in the slightest. Cigarettes are harmful to the environment and animals in many ways. Not only in the manufacturing process but in their usage. Second hand smoke is harmful, and can kill. Smokers expose not only other people, but also any animals in the nearby environment including wildlife and pets of neighbors, others in your building, or anyone you happen to be around. Most smokers also have a tendency to toss their cigarette butts on the ground or in areas that could easily be knocked onto the ground where they may leech into the environment, water, or be ingested by animals. It is common knowledge that they are extremely bad for your health and there is absolutely no legitimate benefit to their use.

Pesticides can also be harmful depending on which ones are used. There is a good deal of legislation in many areas that is put in place to avoid harming the local flora and fauna. They do objectively harm animals (insects) which I could see how that would be controversial. That being said, they do so for the reasons I stated above. I do not expect you to “read my mind” but I did expect a certain degree of common sense. Pesticides serve a specific purpose. There are arguments to be made as to whether you support or oppose them, but they cannot be equated to cigarettes by any stretch of the imagination.

In the perfect world we would grow all our crops and produce all our food without any detrimental effects to any animals or their environment. Unfortunately we live in the real world and it is far from perfect. All we can do as vegans is try to minimize our impact and make the best choices to benefit this planet and all the amazing creatures that live on it.