To ask everyone to stop releasing balloons

[Nixandwotsit]

Why - just why - are crowds of people still thinking that it's a good idea to mourn a death or celebrate an occasion by releasing 100's of fucking balloons into the sky? They land, animals get tangled in them, sometimes they eat them or the ribbons, then some of them die. The balloons don't just vanish like magic fairy dust, they lay around for years littering the countryside.
Am I being unreasonable to ask everyone to just think for a few minutes and stop doing this? And don't even get me started on those lethal bloody chinese lanterns.

I can accept not doing the release as non negotiable if it is banned in your area (and I think should be national). It would be so much better a national bad then no doubt and no chance for companies to cash in or seeming green with a balloon that is biodegradable but could easily be swallowed/harm an animal well before that

I don’t think everyone doing it are twats and that everyone knows and they just don’t care. Some may be twats, particularly if done for any organisation when there should be research. Some know it intellectually but at the time they are grieving and someone suggests it might completely go out of their head.

As an indication of how someone may not pick up how bad it is for the environment-
Google “balloon release” and almost every post is about environmental damage and alternatives. “Balloon release memorial” and there are adverts for balloons and how to plan and only further down the page environmentally friendly alternatives.

Name calling doesn't help. If you call someone a twat you only get their back up.

Let's be civil to each other.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

To be clear, “twats” wasn’t my word- I was quoting the following;

Teaandakitkat

God only thickos do this.Twats

Or a young family who have just lost their mum and are trying to cope as best they can.

Yes there are better ways and letting off balloons for virtual strangers or to just be a part of an event is rubbish.

But if it brings someone a scrap of comfort at a shit time in their lives, it's not so black and white

I agree a discussion can be had without vulgar name calling. Very right to point this out!

Sorry, that wasn't aimed at anyone.

I feel that we can have better results without resorting to name calling.

Apologies if I came across as pointing a finger at anyone.

@Teaandakitkat

God only thickos do this. Twats

Or a young family who have just lost their mum and are trying to cope as best they can.

Yes there are better ways and letting off balloons for virtual strangers or to just be a part of an event is rubbish.

But if it brings someone a scrap of comfort at a shit time in their lives, it's not so black and white.

There are lots of ways to get comfort and remember your loved ones without killing wildlife and farm animals. It IS black and white, it should be outlawed.

My local primary school did this when a pupil sadly died and shared it on Facebook. I had to bite my tongue and say nothing but it really annoyed me, especially as they always go on about eco this and eco that. It was obviously meant from a place of love but they could have do so many other thing to commemorate that child that died.

My local primary school did this when a pupil sadly died and shared it on Facebook. I had to bite my tongue and say nothing but it really annoyed me, especially as they always go on about eco this and eco that. It was obviously meant from a place of love but they could have do so many other thing to commemorate that child that died.

The best way of addressing this might be to suggest other ways, mention the environmental impact rather than criticise the ballon release itself.

@NeonJellyBaby

My local primary school did this when a pupil sadly died and shared it on Facebook. I had to bite my tongue and say nothing but it really annoyed me, especially as they always go on about eco this and eco that. It was obviously meant from a place of love but they could have do so many other thing to commemorate that child that died.

Oh that is so sad. And the children are so young. I totally get why they are a thing but I think its only been the last 10-15 years their environmental impact has been publicised? Round by me someone did fireworks in similar circumstances, I'm not sure they are much better