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.

Are fireworks really that much danger to the environment though? I mean more so than driving a car or taking flights abroad or having more than one child or eating meat or…..all the other crap things that most of us do.

I did not grow up with bonfires/ fireworks etc so I'm
Not bothered about them.
I don't buy fireworks or allow the dc to hold sparklers etc
We do enjoy watching them though. It's just a bit of noisy fun

@ssd

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

Ouch. But can't help laughing.

Thankfully I live in a country where they are not on sale to the public. Organised displays only. I don’t hear any Muslim or Hindu families, or anyone else complaining.

I'm in favour of organised displays and not allowing them to be sold to the public. Where I live fireworks go off almost every night at this time year - and it will carry on until January. It's really tiring to be woken up repeatedly throughout the night because someone has decided to light some; it starts as soon as it's dark and goes on until 2-3am. If it's not a birthday then it's a wedding, or a random party, or the lead-up to bonfire night, or post-bonfire night, or - most commonly - a group of kids setting them off in the streets.

@ssd

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

🤣🤣🤣

YABU. I don't do my own displays but I enjoy attending the seasonal public events, as do many others.

You're free not to buy fireworks or attend the gatherings, and if enough people feel as you do, it will die off anyway. But we shouldn't ban things for everyone, just because others are opposed.

YABU because just about everything is non-essential yet damages the environment if you look hard enough. Televisions, books, musical instruments, paint, fridges, bananas - none are necessary. Hell, ban sanitary towels because you can use a menstrual cup and guide dogs because partially-sighted or blind people can stay inside. Nothing is truly essential unless there are no alternatives, even unpalatable ones.

But we shouldn't ban things for everyone, just because others are opposed

Why not? That’s how civilisation works. Some people are opposed to something, there are increasing movements to campaign against it, then it gets banned when more people come round to that way of thinking- cf, slavery, fox hunting, bear baiting, small children sent down mines, etc.

@ssd

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

And absolutely no whisky for FC, perish the thought that the reindeer have a squiffy driver! There's a reason that grey is such a popular colour at the moment, it matches many people's humourless attitude.

@daisypond

But we shouldn't ban things for everyone, just because others are opposed

Why not? That’s how civilisation works. Some people are opposed to something, there are increasing movements to campaign against it, then it gets banned when more people come round to that way of thinking- cf, slavery, fox hunting, bear baiting, small children sent down mines, etc.

then it gets banned when more people come round to that way of thinking- cf, slavery, fox hunting, bear baiting, small children sent down mines, etc

Quite, hence I did say that if enough people agree with OP then fireworks will die off naturally. My point is the turnout for these things shows others WANT them. This is one people can vote with their feet on, and should be free to do.

@kikipie

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

One of my earliest memories is bonfire night, street bonfire on a disused piece of land, wood gathered gor weeks beforehand. Jacket potatoes finished off in the bonfire, back home to watch my Dad, uncles etc light pretty fireworks outside, while we stood inside at the French doors, then as I got older being allowed to light them in a safe way. Parties as I got older & a lifetime love of fireworks.

Valencia knows how to 'do' fireworks, proper ones. And proper loud bangs!! I can't wait to go back.

People using them to throw in houses, hurt animals/people need to be prosecuted as with other vile behaviour.

Alcohol is incredibly damaging to humans as individuals and society as a whole. Shall we ban that?
How about cars? They're bad for the environment too.
Fossil fuels. Meat. Industrial waste. Space travel. Air travel. Leather clothing. Non recyclable materials. Tobacco.
Let's ban it all.

But we shouldn't ban things for everyone, just because others are opposed

We've done it lots of times eg smoking indoors. Ok you can argue the smoking on health grounds but you can argue fireworks on health grounds too - both for the noise and air pollution reasons.

Let's ban Xmas, Halloween, birthdays too. All fun in fact. Get rid of the lot.

@ColinTheKoala

But we shouldn't ban things for everyone, just because others are opposed

We've done it lots of times eg smoking indoors. Ok you can argue the smoking on health grounds but you can argue fireworks on health grounds too - both for the noise and air pollution reasons.

I have never smoked and have no opinion on indoor smoking. But you're right, that was taken on clear health grounds and had the backing of a hell of a lot of people, so far more proportionate. Same with all the human and animal rights atrocities given as examples below.

Fireworks is not comparable. It's just a yearly cultural pastime that does no real harm to anyone, but probably gives an economic boost and is enjoyed by many more people than oppose it.

For some it's now unacceptable, but they're free not to partake. Why isn't that enough? You can be against something personally without calling to ban it for everyone, surely. Otherwise we might as well ban everything that could be labeled harmful/offensive/unnecessary etc. Firework displays are the least of it!

@NutellaEllaElla

Alcohol is incredibly damaging to humans as individuals and society as a whole. Shall we ban that? How about cars? They're bad for the environment too. Fossil fuels. Meat. Industrial waste. Space travel. Air travel. Leather clothing. Non recyclable materials. Tobacco. Let's ban it all.

Er, most of those things are restricted and many of them are on their way to being banned…

they're free not to partake. Why isn't that enough?

It’s been made clear multiple times on this thread that you can’t opt out of hearing fireworks and indeed that is obvious to anyone with half a brain cell.

YABU- Guy Fawkes night is interesting historically and fireworks are beautiful. Bonfire night is an autumn fun thing and better than Halloween imo. However, as a dog owner, I definitely think that Guy Fawkes fireworks should be entirely confined to Nov 5th- spending a good two weeks trying to calm the dog down every night is not good. If we knew it was just for the one night that would be a lot easier to prepare for.

I'll be honest, I quite like fireworks (in an organised setting), but I also appreciate that not everybody is me, so I think the very least we could do is move to silent fireworks, ban or limit public sale and restrict timelines etc.

However, the weirdest thing about 5 November is that it is essentially the commemoration of religious fundamentalism and a celebration of anti-Catholicism (I am a lapsed Church of Scotland Protestant, for what it's worth). I find it extraordinarily odd that this is still considered acceptable.

Fireworks is not comparable. It's just a yearly cultural pastime that does no real harm to anyone,

Where do fireworks come from? Fireworks are commonly made by child labour and forced child labour.

Didn't realise the Puritans were making a comeback.

I love fire works. And I have pets.

I don't think the 5th November is anything to celebrate in the first place tbh.

YABU- Guy Fawkes night is interesting historically and fireworks are beautiful.

Not many people know or care about the history nowadays, just the fireworks.