Balloon Releases & Chinese Lanterns

[Brefugee]

Have brought this from The Archers chat at the request of @PedantScorner

There is a current secondary theme in The Archers about littering in the countryside and how dangerous it is. the topic of balloon releases came up.

I don't want this to turn into a bufight, and i do get that people process their grief in different ways so please have empathy if it comes up, but i also want to understand why, when so many people ask that it be banned, balloon releases and possibly Chinese Lanterns are still A Thing.

So here's the story from my rural village.

We are in a small village. There are lots of farms and 2 sets of stables. One of the stables had 3 lovely little Shetland ponies. Friendly little fatties who live in a field behind the kindergarten. You often see the little kids feeding them pony nuts. (under supervision)

There was a balloon release quite a way away, in a town, for someone's wedding. And it appears that the baby cow ate a balloon with its string and died. A few months later there was another balloon release for a kid's birthday. and one of the ponies swallowed the balloon but the string and the attached card was hanging out of it's mouth. The Vet saved the pony. And the owner sent the card back saying "congrats your balloon got this far. Here's a photo of the pony that ate it. And please see attached my bank details so you can transfer the vet's fee." (no, they didn't pay)

So when the village kindergarten decided to do a balloon release for the kids going up to proper school - luckily someone else found out before the lady with the Shetland ponies found out, and put the kindergarten Very Straight About Not Doing Stupid Things.

Good for you for raising this. The more idiots that can be informed of the stupidity of balloon releases and Chinese lanterns, the better.

Really shocking that the village kindergarten was planning to do it. What kind of halfwits work there?

Chinese lanterns should be banned outright.
Balloons should come with a warning on the packet about the effects on wildlife.

Unfortunately as soon as a balloon release is organised for a deceased person, any naysayers are made out to be the bad people....understandable in a way. So alternatives need to be made more payable and education before hand.

I asked our towns environmental team if they could officially ban balloon littering releases, and they said no. They could only educate.
So, someone dies, balloons are released and the handful of people who have the guts to speak out on FB are the baddies. It does my head in.

Really shocking that the village kindergarten was planning to do it. What kind of halfwits work there?

Incomer from the city. She's fine now.

i really (despite the reason it happened) loved the anger and reaction of writing back to the releaser and showing them, graphically, what their release did.

I do't get how they can't be stopped. You should have to get a licence to do it, and it should be priced at 10 thousand or something, plus liability insurance on top for anything like the Shetland pony. But i don't get how it's not illegal, isn't littering illegal?

It would be easier to handle those grief stricken releases - "nope, sorry, not allowed"

The last time I read a thread like this there was a woman on here who said she released balloons every year to remember her child and literally nothing would stop her. She didn't care that animals die from it because.....well I don't know why but she was adamant that she wouldn't stop. I understand that a child's death is going to be completely devastating but there are hundreds of wonderful ways to commemorate your child, why would you choose one that could potentially kill innocent animals? It's sad that people are so selfish and entitled.

i have sympathy. On the other hand she needs to stop and get therapy. I have no worries about saying that. Multiple balloon releases is not normal.

I'd ban them both and using helium for balloons. It's a finite resource needed for mri machines and we just chuck it away. Its insanely selfish.

First step would to ban the sale of Helium for domestic use, no one needs it.

This. Helium is a finite resource and used for actually important things. Just ban the sale.

Totally agree, both should be banned.

There are other ways of honouring a deceased person.

All balloons are pollution in my opinion and many are actively dangerous. Same with Chinese and sky lanterns. I feel very strongly about this. There’s information and alternatives on this site https://balloonsblow.org/environmentally-friendly-alternatives/

I would ban them too. We have banned balloons at birthdays in my house due to environmental reasons.

i told my children there’s a big list of reasons I would come and haunt them after I am dead and one on the list was a balloon release. Why can’t people plant a tree instead, much more long lasting / permanent. Or release doves I suppose.

And don’t get me started on balloon arches either.

They are happy to sell helium, plastic balloons and alllow balloon releases but God forbid you want a plastic fork to eat your lunch.

@Brefugee They should absolutely be banned - in reality it is just mass littering so no reason why councils cannot fine the organiser u see that legislation. Or fly tipping.

It is the most selfish and self-absorbed way to mark any event. Years ago people didn't know any better. Now they do. And if people won't take responsibility themselves then they just need to be banned outright.

Imagine if everyone who ever released a helium balloon planted a tree instead. That would make the world a better place instead of a worse one. And you could keep going back to look at your tree whenever you wanted to have a reflective moment about your loved one. A balloon is out of sight within a few minutes - then what?!

People have managed to grieve for thousands upon thousands of years without balloon releases. It's only become a 'thing' in recent years. So I don't believe grief to be an excuse for ignorance.

My niece died and every year my sister wanted to do a balloon release in her memory. I hate the littering associated with balloon releases, so now we release butterflies instead. So much prettier and a living memory.

They just look crap and the lanterns ,who thought releasing a naked flame into the blue yonder is a good idea.