to think that you don't let off a load of helium balloons, whatever the cause?

[SignoraStronza]

Found this morning in the hedgerow of a cattle field, a memorial balloon with accompanying length of ribbon and plastic wrapped message. Thankfully I found it before our friend's beasts did.

While I have every sympathy (well, mostly but that's another thread) with the cause that the message was promoting and the bereavement the organisers suffer, AIBU to think that the damage this could have potentially caused to the environment is akin to those sky lanterns that people are finally beginning to get the message about?

There is a request to email with the location it was found - am not sure whether/what I should write. Prepared to be told In a grumpy arse.

Ah. I disnt know that! Isn't that terrifying that people are releasing something so valuable and in to the atmosphere without a care.

My shop removed all Chinese lanterns that we had for sale and destroyed them.

The impact they have on wildlife is awful.

I've just had a look at the google images of wildlife killed by helium balloons, and it's distressing. I think once anyone is aware of the damage they can do, there is no excuse. I can't see many dead people wanting animals dying miserably as a memorial to them.

YANBU! Whenever I politely suggest are more environmentally friendly alternative to a balloon release at the end of Y6 I get the eye rolls and "But it's fun and for the children!"

ItsAllGoingToBeFine No, definitely not in the realm of snotty emails - even a gentle request to reconsider for next time could cause a lot of upset for the organisers. Which is a shame, because having looked into the details, they have done some fantastically worthwhile things out of a very sad situation.

interesting article if anyone else is interested

Awaiting an accusation of putting animal life above human life now.

As someone who has suffered numerous bereavements,* I’m not aware of anyone being raised from the dead by a helium balloon, only further death being caused by them.

*It pisses me off so much having to qualify my comment with that.

I'd send an email, even if the contact was personal rather than a charity, but then I don't think that grief is a free pass to be a dick.

I may be over thinking this, but helium is surely extracted from the air. True this takes energy. But any helium used in balloons will eventually leak out back into the air. It's not trapped forever.
Otherwise agree with the sentiment that suffocating wildlife is a bad thing. Plus a waste of a good balloon.

Read the link I posted above. Helium can escape the atmosphere so when it's gone, it really is gone.

I must admit the environmental impact has never occurred to me before. I am not saying this defensively because I like balloons, just that I have never thought of it as a bad thing.
I thought I was pretty environmentally responsible, but obviously not as much as I thought. I wonder if I'm the last to the party on that or whether others organising these events consider it too.
I would email and explain it could have been potentially harmful, I would want to know if it was me

palomb just read that article - it comes from deposited trapped in rocks. Interesting.
No more helium balloons for me

Is ' helium used for neonatal care (helium oxygen mixture I think). You'd think if it was a finite resource, hospital would discourage all these balloons. Are there still large resources?

Excuse typos

I loath these types of things - we once had next door neighbours (clients in a holiday let so not the owners) let off a Chinese lantern which promptly came down in the hedge between our gardens, then when it freed itself it almost landed on us - bloody things are lethal, and helium balloons are just as bad - how can people be so thoughtless, of course they're going to land somewhere?

Jorah me, me, I'll raise that!

Uptownfuckuup, I hope you do tell your DC, when they can't have an MRI scan they need because there isn't enough helium left, that it was all used up by them messaging their nanny in the sky, back in the day.

(I've lost my mum, too. I can't imagine honouring her memory by making a useful and occasionally vital bit of healthcare less available for her grandchildren, even without the "strangling wildlife" angle.)

So far this debate isn't as vicious as the last one, where a woman had bought a helium balloon for her daughter's birthday and had posters telling her "Well done for killing people who need MRI scans just so your daughter can have a balloon".

I mean, I see their point and agree that we shouldn't be using up this finite resource, but still... there's making a point and then there's calling someone a murderer.

Helium balloons and Chinese lanterns can kill animals and the lanterns can cause fires. The cause is irrelevant.

I would totally send a polite but firmly worded email- I don't care what the so called good cause is. We all have a responsibility to the environment.

On the helium thing, I thought that MRI scanners use clean helium and balloons use dirty helium so going without a balloon doesn't make any difference to scans.

I brought up the helium as a finite resource issue at a PTA meeting, it wasn't well received. They did decide not to do them though.

FFS people being called dicks for letting off memorial balloons seriously not everyone is aware of the dangers these things involve and not knowing doesn't make them a dick.

This thread brings back memories.

Wasn't so long ago I was called names for saying my children let some balloons off on the anniversary on their dead dad's birthday as they thought the message in the balloon would get to him. The thread didn't end well but thankfully some nice MNers understood and didn't judge me for doing what I did to bring some comfort to my grieving children. At that point in time it was worth it to offer them some comfort after months of hell.

I took the nicer comments on board and will look for environmental friendly balloons in future though.

Sorry for their dad's birthday and anniversary of his death.

Long day, can barely function ;)

Surely it's the responsibility of anyone planning this kind of event to educate themselves? It's fairly obvious that lumps of plastic or rubber are not going to just disappear into the atmosphere - they're not going to disintegrate - and you have no idea or control over where they'll end up