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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School, and balloon releases, and what seems like wilful bloody minded ignorance!

45 replies

QueenOfFarkingEverything · 22/04/2013 13:56

Last year, my DD's school wanted to do a balloon release fundraiser. I had a thread about it and I objected and sent them loads of information and a leaflet suggesting alternatives, and it was dropped.

Today, I get an email. They are planning another balloon release as they feel confident that they have found 'environmentally friendly balloons' to release. Clearly they didn't read ANY of the information I helpfully sent last year and are dead set on doing it for some unfathomable reason.

I'm objecting again but frankly God knows why I'm bothering as clearly they are convinced they know better than the RSPCA, RSPB, Marine Conservation Society, Beachwatch, National Farmers Union, Tidy Britain Group, the Shark Trust, WWF, several local councils....

OP posts:
olivertheoctopus · 22/04/2013 14:01

Environmentally friendly balloons?! What, made of rice paper or some magic substance which instantly dissolves on contact with ground/water/animals? Can you enlist the help of your own council to tell them to stop? Might be worth a call to see what they think. Surely that's still littering and therefore the school is setting themselves up for a gigantic fine.

Sorry if any of this was said on your previous thread, i didn't read through it all.

lionheart · 22/04/2013 14:03

I remember the thread. Have you got the energy to make the same points to the school over again?

scaevola · 22/04/2013 14:06

Yes, go through it again. Please.

There is no need to teach children it's ok to harm wildlife with a mass activity such as this.

Perhaps send school this and previous thread?

Original poster
QueenOfFarkingEverything · 22/04/2013 14:06

Just about. I've been onto the MCS (turns out they are based not a million miles away) who have sent me some very useful stuff and also pointed out that helium is a decreasing resource and should be used judiciously these days.

OP posts:
Callisto · 22/04/2013 14:08

I fecking hate balloon releases like this. It is as bad as any other form of littering. And latex biodegradable balloons take ages to decompose.

iZombie · 22/04/2013 14:08

Our school do a balloon race. I argued against it but it's like arguing with a brick. I'm hoping there are no balloons left this year.

quoteunquote · 22/04/2013 14:19

Tell your school they are welcome to join any beach litter pick, we need all the volunteers we can get.

We find lots of balloons, even the so called environmentally safe ones, no we don't send back the address label. I sometimes email the group (usually school) to explain why they are twonks.

are they so unimaginative they are unable to come up with something that causes no harm?

Original poster
QueenOfFarkingEverything · 22/04/2013 14:21

Dunno quoteunquote. They appear to be so dense they couldn't read the list of alternative balloon-related fundraising ideas I sent them last year Hmm

OP posts:
StuntGirl · 22/04/2013 15:10

I remember your previous thread, can't believe they want to do it again! I would go back to them with more of the same, they really didn't listen last time, did they?

gremlindolphin · 22/04/2013 16:26

keep going QoFE, good luck with this years efforts. I hate balloons full stop.

RubyGates · 22/04/2013 16:31

So is this website fundamentally wrong then?
www.balloonlink.com/environment.htm

cardamomginger · 22/04/2013 16:36

YANBU. For so many reasons.

Perhaps they might like to donate the proceeds to research into alternatives to MRIs, which we won't be able to have once the helium's used up.

OldBeanbagz · 22/04/2013 16:39

Since they're clearly not interest in littering their enviroment with balloon debris, perhaps you ought to point out to them that the world's supply of helium is being dwindled by their stupid ballon releases.

Since it's used in potentiall life saving MRI scanners, they should be ashamed of themselves for squandering valuable natural resources.

Good luck with getting them to listen to you.

I boycotted the last balloon release at my DC's school which went ahead despite my objections but they haven't done one in the 6 years since.

Maybe because they have a new Eco Club at school and are working towards their Silver Award with the Eco Schools initiative.

ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 22/04/2013 16:40

this is more important

McNewPants2013 · 22/04/2013 16:43

www.independent.co.uk/news/science/a-ballooning-problem-the-great-helium-shortage-8439108.html

Helium is in short supply and it harms the environment, the school is BU

ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 22/04/2013 16:44

helium stocks running low

scientists speak out against wasting helium in balloons

helium shortage

the world is running out of helium

although the balloon people say that it's some other sort of helium they use and therefore not affecting anything. I'm not quite sure how that works.

although if my business was helium filled balloons, I am sure I would be trying to claim the same. Grin

5madthings · 22/04/2013 16:44

Our school did one of these for anti bullying week i think.it was.

I complained, they said they were environmentally friendly balloons..

If they plan another one i shall get more info and tell them about the helium thing!

montage · 22/04/2013 17:04

The helium used in balloons is not meant to be of sufficient quality to be used in MRI scanners.

With regard to releasing balloons though, the posters above who compare it to littering on onto something.

I would try to get them to tell you why they think it's ok to release their environmentally friendly balloons if they would not be willing to drop uninflated/burst balloons at random points around the countryside/toss them in the sea etc. As that is what they doing. They just don't want to link the result of what they're doing with being it's cause.

iZombie · 22/04/2013 17:08

They can't see the end problem, therefore it doesn't exist.

RustyBear · 22/04/2013 17:10

RubyGates - from your link: "Research shows that under similar environmental conditions, latex balloons will biodegrade at about the same rate as a leaf from an oak tree. The actual total degradation time will vary depending the precise conditions."

This may be true, but the difference is that an oak leaf is not harmful to wildlife while it is degrading, whereas the balloon is - I still have last year's leaves in my garden, if they had been balloons, they would have been a threat to wildlife for several months now.

RubyGates · 22/04/2013 18:34

Oak leaves take 4 years or so to decompose. I suppose latex must too.

Original poster
QueenOfFarkingEverything · 22/04/2013 18:34

RubyGates - that link is to a site created by a balloon manufacturer. Go to the homepage - they make and distribute latex balloons. So I am not going to take them more seriously then the list of reputable organisations that are against balloon releases.

OP posts:
Original poster
QueenOfFarkingEverything · 22/04/2013 18:35

Exactly iZombie!

They are always banging on to children about not dropping litter in the village play area but seem utterly unaware that this is the same thing on a bigger scale Hmm

OP posts:
hiddenhome · 22/04/2013 19:15

Show them a picture like this

Sad