To think a balloon launch is a really thoughtless way for a school to raise funds?

[ShatnersBassoon]

I didn't know organisations still did these, I thought they were something that only happened years ago when we were still spraying CFCs about with gay abandon and running our cars on 4*.

The potential environmental impact of hundreds of burst balloons strewn across miles seems pretty awful to me. It will be hazardous to wildlife at worst and an eyesore at best.

It's the school's big and exciting jubilee event and they're charging £1 per balloon. Good fundraiser, no doubt about it.

Should I ask the school whether they'd considered the litter that this event will create? Even giving them the benefit of the doubt and believing the balloons will be biodegradable latex, there are still going to be pieces of rubber that will take months (at least) to completely disappear landing in waterways, in people's gardens etc etc.

Not to mention the world helium shortage

So AIB an U eco-warrior? I need to know before I make a dick of myself by raising my concerns.

Sorry - blatant copy and paste from the other thread coming up:

Ah, the myth of biodegradeable plastic e.g. schools saying they are using biodegradable balloons. Why can't they understand that it can't just be erased from existence, and the smaller the particles, the more long term damage it does? Take a balloon/bag which remains in one piece. Bird/seal/cow eats bag or balloon. Chokes. Dead animal. End of. Take lots and lots and lots and lots of tiny, broken down plastic particles with all the chemicals in them including oestrogen mimickers, and attracting surrounding pollutants like a magnet. Plankton eats plastic. Bait fish eat plankton. Larger fish eat baitfish. Human eats all the accumulated plastic in the foodchain. Nice. Or alternatively, seal eats larger fish. Orca eats seal. Suddenly you have one rather polluted orca, its fertility and resistance to disease seriously impaired. I know of course plastic is only part of the problem but quite why people think it's ok to scatter it merrily through the environment I have no idea.

Sorry, I know I am preaching to the fully converted here

OP, the Marine Conservation Society claim that if you know of an event planned, you should contact them with the details and they will send the organisers an information pack explaining just what the consequences are.

You can print this off for a starter and give it to them. Make a fuss!

Sorry, just saw exexpat's post, saying much the same thing about the MCS.

Yanbu.

Nothing killjoy about protecting the environment and wildlife, in fact I'm pretty sure that they are issues that most school children are quite 'up' on these days.

I would absolutely be taking this up with the school. I'm quite sure they can think of an alternative fundraiser.

Sorry - last one from me

This is what I was looking for. OP, please show the school this. And the other parents. Good luck :)

Our school has used these guys in the past and on first glance they seem to check out.

YANBU but I should think it only accounts for 0.000000000001 % of all the litter in this country. So if I wanted to campaign against litter or support an environmental cause there are probably more effective places to start.

But this is littering I'm being given advance notice of! Surely it would be wrong to let it go simply because there are people polluting on a grander scale elsewhere. It isn't OK just because some things are worse.

Its also totally unecessary littering. And something involving schoolkids has to be a good place to start.

YANBU.

When our school suggested doing this I ran a "virtual balloon race" - get a large colourful map of the world (WH Smith or similar sell good posters) divide it into equal squares depending on the number you would like to sell and put A-whatever along the top, 1 to whatever down the side - get the head or someone similar to chose a square and write that down in an evelope and leave it in the school safe. Then sell a square - the person who chose the same one as is written in the envelope is the winner!

We explained why we were doing this and all the children (of course) thought it was much better.

The eco action team did some info posters and became quite evangelical about it and litter in general.

All littering is totally unnecessary, Grimma.

Litter is not just visual is it? I'm not keen on the idea of wildlife munching away on small pieces of latex.

YANBU, I'm amazed that schools are still doing That sort of thing.

Trestle, although obviously balloons only account for a fraction of overall litter, because they fly, they reach places that might otherwise not be littered, like fields, rivers and the sea.

The way I look at it is, if a school suggested a 'fun' activity which involved scattering little bits of plastic and rubber all over farms and beaches, everyone would quite rightly be appalled. Just because you are scattering it indirectly doesn't make it any better.

All littering is totally unnecessary, Grimma.
yes - but at least some things may at least have served some useful purpose beforehand. There's no purpose to this that can't be achieved by better means (like gremlins idea)

The "useful purpose" of the balloons would be fun and excitement, the same as a lot of other things which end up recycled/binned/as litter.

I'm not condoning any litter in any way. But what I don't understand is why people would suddenly become so interested in litter and the environment just for this one occasion, when they never have been before and probably won't be in the future

It's a shame. When I was an oblivious child, letting my balloon go at the school event was so much fun.

I'm not a hypocrite. I've never wilfully littered before, and I never intend to. So you're wrong in saying I never have been and never will be interested in litter/the environment. I choose not to create litter every single day, as do most people.

Not littering isn't an interest I have had since I heard about the balloon release, it's a habit I don't intend to break and a habit I encourage in others.

I'm not a hypocrite. I've never wilfully littered before, and I never intend to. So you're wrong in saying I never have been and never will be interested in litter/the environment. I choose not to create litter every single day, as do most people.

Not littering isn't an interest I have had since I heard about the balloon release, it's a habit I don't intend to break and a habit I encourage in others.

Lots of good info here to pass onto the school - do make a stand and complain - even if they don't cancel this one, I bet they won't do another!

"I'm not a hypocrite. I've never wilfully littered before, and I never intend to."

But have you ever done anything to counter other people's litter before? And will you do so in the future?

... and by counter I mean campaign and speak up, not just the odd litter pick? Still can't understand why this balloon thing is getting blown up (pun intended) out of proportion to all the other litter?

(and yes I have, before you ask!)

Trestle - because this kind of litter is particularly damaging to marine animals, especially endangered species such as turtles?

Trestle: Because its a deliberate act arranged by a school. Its easy to stop, so it should be stopped and replaced with a harmless alternative. Its something the OP, as an individual (or any of us in her position) can do - so why pour cold water on it?

If you've suggestions for other, better, ways people can help combat litter please do share!

You've lost me Trestle. Do you think a balloon release is bad, but that only some people are experienced enough in trying to prevent environmental hazards to speak out? Anyone else who has never led an anti-litter campaign should keep their mouths shut?