To think fireworks and firework displays should become a thing of the past?

[Spockynocky]

I love fireworks but if we are all being asked to do our part regarding the climate crisis I think councils should stop putting on displays and fireworks shouldn’t be sold for home use.

They’re wasteful in terms of cost when councils struggle to remain solvent. They’re a hazard both physically and psychologically for wildlife and pets.

They look pretty but so do a lot of things that are damaging the environment. I think councils should use the fact that for the last few years covid restrictions have meant displays have been cancelled to make this permanent. The bonfires at these displays are also damaging to the air quality and wildlife. I think we need to change how 5th November is remembered. I also think that Light Nights also are so wasteful. Especially with the cost of electricity. Our council have just put one on with the theme of Back To Nature. It seemed rather incongruous to celebrate the natural world which is under threat from mans use of fuel to light up the city.

I love 5th November and light night. They brighten a miserable time of year but think they’re no longer viable or responsible.

Just the incidents around me I can remember in the past couple of years
Fireworks thrown into houses - numerous
Fireworks thrown onto buses
Fireworks thrown into the local nursing home
Fireworks thrown into the spar shop
Fireworks thrown into a car with a baby in

Sorry if I don't like them but I do have valid reason! Don't get me wrong, I don't want to ban them totally and displays are great but when you have teenagers wandering the streets chucking them at people...
I can't describe the sheer fear when you are blow drying your hair and realise there is a lit, unexploded rocket that's just landed next to you

Agree with people saying organised displays only. I think it's mad that just anyone can set them off.

I'm sick of fireworks and the 'its just a bit of fun' justification for them. They are a direct cause if distress and injury to animals and those enjoying them don't see or pay for the consequences. Worse, when they're told about the consequences they blame the owners of the animals for not training or mitigating because it's easy to train a flock of sheep or find alternative livery for horses for the few nights it's needed, isn't it? But yeh, my lame horse and my vet bill is nothing to do with the fuckers who pointed their fireworks over my field because fireworks are a bit of fun. I'll get my own back though. So there is that to look forward to.

The problem is not with celebrating Bonfire night or any other festival @WitchyNameChange. But in the case of Bonfire Night around here it seems to be about setting off as many fireworks as possible while they’re on sale and not anything else. I have never in my life (26 years) seen a Guy. I imagine a significant number of people in my area have never heard of Guy Fawkes. How is it celebrating any cultural event for my neighbours to have been setting off fireworks last night? So many issues with ASB, injuries, animal welfare etc could be resolved if fireworks were not on sale to the general public.

And I'll bring up something else that's in the OP.
What the heck is a Light Night? I've never heard if this!

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It’s not just a night, it’s a season which starts at Halloween and doesn’t really end until New Year’s day.

Honestly don’t mind big public controlled displays at all but I’ve thought private sale of fireworks should be banned for many years.

The larger fireworks should be limited to organised displays only. Sparklers only for public use.

Sparklers, Catherine wheels and Roman candles only - absolutely no need for loud skyrockets.

I would have no problem with licensed professionals doing displays as part of a wedding at the venue. However, family members setting off fireworks in a residental street just to celebrate the couple arriving home seems to me disruptive and dangerous..

You do realise some of these families cannot afford a large venue and cater for countless family members in their own home?? Not everyone has the luxury of large venues for these weddings. So you'd be ok with these families not celebrating the way those who are more well off do?

And what about Diwali? Those celebrations are also held at home not in a venue, and the whole idea of the festival of light is to make the world bright with colour and joy. How do you propose to stop that happening @Whinge?

Damn that first part should've been in bold as I was quoting a poster. Bold fail.

They're definitely not worth the fear they cause to animals. Another example of humans doing exactly whatever they like and inadvertently causing damage in the process. Time to change I reckon. I could never really understand what all the fuss was about when I was a child!

@Theluggage15

Organised displays are fine and great fun.

I’m amazed at the amount of people who seem to have a hugely inflated idea of how important the U.K. is in relation to climate change - it’s not, and most of the things that people spout on about on mumsnet ‘to make a difference to the climate’ is just pointless virtue signalling.

It's not just about climate change though, it's about local pollution. Fireworks cause air pollution, and quite clearly massive noise pollution as well.

The fact that fireworks are named after terrible torture methods is horrible, so I don’t get the “joy”. But I suppose that all fits in with the history of Bonfire Night. I really don’t see why we can’t have light and sound displays with no fireworks at all.

I think that organised displays only sounds like a good idea-but how workable is that?

Here we only get fireworks on New Years Eve & the debris in the road the next morning is awful!

I have thought that since I was a child, when you learn what a Roman candle or Catherine wheel actually was. I’ve never forgotten it.

Organised, silent displays only. Perfectly fine alternative. The general public don’t need to be able to buy them

@WitchyNameChange

I would have no problem with licensed professionals doing displays as part of a wedding at the venue. However, family members setting off fireworks in a residental street just to celebrate the couple arriving home seems to me disruptive and dangerous..

You do realise some of these families cannot afford a large venue and cater for countless family members in their own home?? Not everyone has the luxury of large venues for these weddings. So you'd be ok with these families not celebrating the way those who are more well off do?

And what about Diwali? Those celebrations are also held at home not in a venue, and the whole idea of the festival of light is to make the world bright with colour and joy. How do you propose to stop that happening @Whinge?

So you'd be ok with these families not celebrating the way those who are more well off do?

That’s an odd argument, because there are a thousand ways that people well off will be able to celebrate that people who can’t afford it won’t. That’s just life, everyone has a budget - my wedding would have been different had I had a bigger budget. Missing out on fireworks is hardly a pressing social inequality issue.

We've had fireworks thrown at people and dogs in our local park.

So no I'm not a fan of the general public being left to their own devices. Current restrictions aren't working.

I love fireworks but don't have any at home as we have trees. Far too big of a risk that they would get caught or pushed off course. I have explained this to my daughter.

However everyone seems to be banning shit due to 'covid' so some councils have stopped the big Public fireworks (and putting pressure on the public but not council to close). What happens when that happens... More people lighting them in the unsuitable gardens without risk assessment and then huddling together 🙄

We need more public events, I'm actually ok with stopping sale to general public. Licensed venues or possibly person with a license so say a sports venue/ school could be used. It raises a lot of money for these clubs.

Last one I went to was £6 an adult ticket, couldn't get many fireworks for the same family cost. Don't know how much the cut was from the burger van/ jacket potatoes.

I'm OK-ish with formal licensed silent displays but I'd ban private sales of fireworks though - absolutely menaces, a complete PITA and no need for them.

@Ionlydomassiveones

Here we go, the annual firework moan on MN. It’s usually about the poor little doggies, so well done OP for finding a new angle on how to argue banning something. But no. This is a piss in the ocean compared to things like certain countries burning fossil fuels and ocean plastic pollution. Events like bonfire night have a multiple social benefits so YABU.

It's not just about dogs. What would you describe me as, as an adult woman who is terrified of loudly banging fireworks? As a poor little woman? A poor little lady? A poor little girlie?

I think they shouldn't be sold to the general public anymore (mainly due to the risk of injury) and limited to organised displays only.

@ssd

Oh FFS. Bet you don't leave out mince pies for Santa incase he has a gluten allergy.

Doing that in the comfort of your own home isn't harming anyone, or the environment though, is it? What a stupid comparison.

Why the hell should animals be scared out of their minds, not to mention those with PTSD from fighting for our country, just so you can see pretty colours in the sky? Is that REALLY more important?