Many of us have taken part in balloon releases, often to mark an anniversary, or to remember somebody, but we often forget the potential impact these balloons can have when they land.
Local Councillor Jim Kenyon shared an important post on Facebook, highlighting the dangers that balloons can cause to animals and wildlife.
Cllr Kenyon said:
“In the past I’ve been involved with balloon releases so I’m no angel, but can people please think about where these balloons might end up.
“I found this in my goat field, well chewed and devoured – I just hope it won’t cause any permanent damage and nature will take its cause.
“My message is – please think do I really need to release them?”
“Thanks for reading.”
From Wildlife Watch:
You might have seen a balloon release, or even done one yourself. Watching hundreds of balloons rising together into the sky can certainly be impressive, but let’s take a minute to think about what happens when they float off into the distance.
A RISING PROBLEM
When a balloon rises high enough, the low air pressure in the atmosphere causes it to burst. If it gets high enough and cold enough it can shatter into thousands of tiny pieces and fall to the earth.
There are two main types of balloons and both are really bad for our wildlife. Some are made of latex (made from the sap of a gum tree) and can be labelled as biodegradable.
However, even though they do break down, they can still take up to a year. Foil balloons (these are the shiny ones that can be made into shapes) take even longer to break down as they are made from a thin layer of foil woven into nylon.
From every balloon release, hundreds of balloons don’t get very high and float back to earth still inflated.
These are an even bigger problem for marine life, especially larger animals like turtles who can mistake them for jellyfish (their main food source) or for sea birds that think it’s a tasty snack floating on the surface. These big bits of rubber can get stuck in the animal’s gut and cause it to starve.
And that’s just the balloons! What about the string? This is often a plastic material that doesn’t break down and can tie up, or even strangle animals.
What about Lanterns?
There have been loads of stories of fires being started by these lanterns; setting farmers’ crops alight or setting animals on fire! Even putting coastal rescue services in danger who think these floating lights are distress flares from someone struggling out at sea and set out to help someone who isn’t there. It’s not a good idea letting things float away on the wind because you don’t know where it’s going to land.
Further advice – https://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/problem-balloons
