To ask everyone to stop balloon releases

[Poscapen]

It's always difficult to comment, because people let this rubbish into the air at times of grief. But as I see a load of black balloons released in their 100's, would it be OK to ask that everyone - every single MN'er - pledge to never organise a balloon (or Chinese lantern) release and never take part in one?
We know that the balloons and the threads tied on take a varied amount of time to biodegrade (even the biodegradable ones). We know that helium is a finite resource. We know that these stupid releases kill livestock, pets and wild animals on a frighteningly regular basis. So why is it still happening? Why are we humans so stupid? Don't get me started on sending naked flames and sharp bamboo frames off into the countryside!
If we want to commemorate a lost one surely we can think about things like bee bombs instead? Would the loved one who has passed away want their legacy to be a young foal, just for example, dead because of the balloon and cord tangled in it's throat? Takes the edge off the "Fly free Grandad" label attached doesn't it?

Yanbu. Littering idiots.

Our council won't ban them as they're too scared of having to lay the law down. I've had it out with them a few times.

Balloons - shocking

helium - it will be gone in 25 years but I have to say NASA is the biggest consumer - we the public relatively use teeny tiny amounts compared to them….

Who even does these now? Surely no one?

YANBU at all. People are aware of the damage to animals but they just don’t care.

Is there a petition to ban them? I'll sign it x

We don't need balloons.
We don't need to waste helium on balloons.
They should be made illegal.

The people at the Cardiff vigil released balloons and let off fireworks! Double moronic whammy

Oh my goodness

We've always attached a helium birthday balloon to the grave then next time we go it's no longer floating and we bin it. Don't understand why people let them fly away.

absolutely hate them, pleaded with one family to not have one and got told to stfu as they were sending the balloons to heaven.... er no you're not.

Some stupid idiots released Chinese lanterns near where I grew up on Germany. These lanterns got onto a zoo and caused a massive fire where ALL the monkeys have died including the Orangutan family 😭

Unpopular opinion here as well but I hate floral tributes with the plastic left wrapped around the flowers.

Balloons of any description can fuck off.

Those ridiculous 'balloon arches' for every Instagram baby shower and hen do are only marginally less awful than those being released into the sky to slowly filter back down and choke wildlife later.

This is a list of councils which have banned balloon &/or sky lantern releases,
https://www.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/ocean-friendly-living/dontletgo/dontletgo-councils/ there are other lists including more councils, l have seen one in the past which included Southend, which is not on this one. They only have the power to ban releases on their own land, & it's probably never enforced. l think the main one for Archie Battersbee was held in Priory Park, owned by Southend council.
The last time l saw a sky lantern for sale, was in an RSPCA charity shop! l made a comment and the volunteer removed it, hopefully to the bin, after saying l was the 2nd customer to have made a comment about it.

If helium is a noble gas that is extracted from air doesn't it just go back into the air?
I know I am missing the point of the thread but I am not understanding where the helium is supposed to be going!

Into space. It's just that light.

I hate balloons they are one of my ‘phobias’ never seen the attraction, hate the squeakiness and the threat of a pop. I’d never dream of letting any off either (although I have probably done this by accident as a child!)

It floats out of the atmosphere and is lost. It's not extracted from the air, it comes from underground.

With all the recent hoo-haa about single-use plastic, no-one seems to want to include helium balloons, when they don't biodegrade either. I agree with a pp that they should be banned, just like plastic straws and changes to packaging.

I have a young DC and refuse to give them balloons or have them at parties. I hate seeing balloon arches or massive gender reveal balloons.

The lack of care, grieving or not, for animals who swallow or choke on fragments of balloons is unforgivable. There are plenty of other ways to honour a loved one without causing harm.

I agree the trees in my local park are full of balloons also looks like a local telegraph pole recently had a birthday as its still got a number balloon wrapped around the top of it.
they're everywhere.

I would never even consider doing this, and especially not as a tribute to a dead loved one.
Helium balloons and Chinese lanterns should be banned completely. No exceptions. This is no different than fly tipping or throwing rubbish out of your car onto the road; worse in fact.

@SnowLemons I'm sure there was a petition about this that went to parliament but I think it was deemed to be a 'local authority' affair.

@SnowLemons Here is the last petition. I was mistaken: it was rejected for not being specific enough. 😶

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/628866

Yea I don't agree with mass littering but that's some seriously unpleasant snobbery.

YANBU.

"I'm sure he/she wouldn't want to be remembered by people dropping a load of sky litter."

That's what I'd say if I knew one was being planned.