The penalty for mass balloon release should be the same as for fly tipping

[Serencwtch]

Yet another mass balloon release local to us.
This time dozens of blue metallic balloons with plastic ribbon.
We are farmers & spent yesterday morning trying to save a calf who was found with the metallic plastic in her mouth. She choked to death slowly & painfully. We have likely lost dozens of unborn lambs as the ewes were running terrified all night by the shiny metallic litter in their field.
We are in a area of outstanding national beauty & the wildlife there won't have a farmer to save them from suffering.
It gets caught up in our crop fields, damages machinery & contaminates food crops.
Theres balloons stuck in trees from a release 2 years ago - this rubbish does not break down.

YABU - if you lose a loved one you have the right to litter the countryside, cause suffering to animals & damage farmers livelihoods

YANBU - It's the same if not worse than any other rubbish dumping & should be prosecuted

So often when I walk in the countryside I find balloon after balloon all wrapped around bushes and trees in the middle of nowhere. My heart sinks at these tacky balloon releases. There’s so much nicer ways to pay tribute to a lost loved one. Those Chinese lanterns with the flame are just as bad. People were actually releasing those next to Epping Forest during one of the worst drought years on record. I mean just how stupid and irresponsible do you need to be to think that was a sensible thing to do?

Completely agree, and anyone who speaks out against a specific one is deemed heartless because people can’t see the bigger picture.

I went to a funeral last year where everyone was given a packet of wildflower seeds to spread which I thought was a lovely way. I have also seen people all blowing bubbles which is nice for the coming together aspect

@Serencwtch I'm so sorry that must be heartbreaking for you to lose livestock, not just the loss of young animals in horrible circumstances but the financial loss too.

I'm really surprised to hear they still go on. It's much more candles and fundraising here.

I wouldn't participate if some one I knew was organising, but it's very hard to tell someone grieving they shouldn't do it. I might try if it was someone close to me, but it would be asking for a bunfight to respond to plans on SM, I think.

Why? Would you willingly put your hands or a rope around a calf or deer’s neck and strangle it? I suspect not but by releasing a balloon you’d effectively be doing just that.

It makes me so, so angry. The sheer wilful ignorance and vanity of it, along with Chinese fucking lanterns. It makes me want to weep. But I don't hold out much hope of getting through to these thick as a turd knuckle draggers. The human race doesn't give a shit about each other let alone the poor, unfortunate species we share the planet with. Still, I expect they get some great photos for Instagram. Maybe include one of a calf choking to death to remember their loved one by or celebrate that very special occasion.

I think that means the message is getting through, and they don't happen as much as they did?

Couldn't agree more. Ditto those bloody candle lanterns

It should be seen in the same vein as littering.

Couldn't agree more.

Absolutely disgraceful. Twats playing in the countryside with no clue as to what they’re at! So sorry for your poor animals.

Poor animals- this is shocking. Sorry OP
Agree with planting seeds instead - forget me nots maybe?
The lanterns are worse though the balloons are bad enough

It would be better to say something before they did it rather than let them find out after that the legacy their baby has left is that of destruction of wildlife, suffering of animals & damage to property & livelihoods.

No clue who L from Guildford area was - I'll only ever know him as the one who brought misery & suffering. I'm sure their grieving relatives will live seeing his rotting rubbish in beauty spots for years to come

I hope so.

I haven't seen a balloon release for years, or come across a deflated balloon with a tag.

I remember when local news reports used to encourage them by running stories on how far the balloons would travel.

Why? Would you allow a grieving family to go and chuck a load of plastic rubbish into a nearby farmers field? Is it different if you do it via the medium of helium and it has to float down to get there?

Being bereaved doesn’t give you the right to damage the environment and injure wildlife and livestock. Light a candle in your own house and get your head out of your arse.

And don’t even get me started on people releasing doves 😡😡😡

Totally agree. Also leaving flowers at scenes that are wrapped in plastic. I live semi rurally, unfortunately over the years there are a number of places where there’s been a car accident or bike accident etc. people then leave loads of bouquets of flowers, often on the anniversaries for years, but after the flowers die (eaten by rabbits!) there’s just a load of plastic that is a big pile of litter and gets blown into the hedge rows. God forbid you point this out though as that obviously means you are a heartless cow who doesn’t care that someone died 🙄. Leave your flowers but take them out of the plastic, take that home and put it in your bin!

This is Guildford Surrey. We still see them unfortunately. The rubbish stays in the environment for years so we are still picking up litter from a release 2 years ago. That was a young teenager killed in a car crash.
The balloons look pretty at the time but obviously they don't float up to heaven & 2 years on they are filthy dirty faded scraps of metallic plastic strewn in trees & bushes or found around a dead deer.

The current one I believe was a teenager who was stabbed so another tragic loss.

It just seems a horrid legacy to leave - filthy rubbish in beautiful countryside for years to come, suffering & dead animals & wildlife , damage to property & livelihoods.

It's worse than flytipping in some ways as the rubbish is spread over such a large area

Yes these should be banned. You would think people would know why it’s so wrong as there has been lots of publicity about it.

Agreed. We haven't used helium balloons for years since I found out how it's a finite resource and has much more important uses. We have foil balloons, inflate them with air to hang for decoration, then deflate them again with a straw and reuse. Some of ours eg happy birthday letters, have been used multiple times over several years. I'm always seeing people giving away inflated birthday balloons on FB and I comment to let them know they're actually reusable. Obviously huge numbers don't even get given away just popped and dumped.

Definitely agree with that.

'Balloon releases' are irresponsible and a chavvy thing to do. I'm sure the deceased wouldn't want harm caused in their 'memory'.

So sorry about the harm then cause to your animals. I hope balloon releases are banned.

Totally agree about lanterns.

And bubbles sounds lovely.

I never understand how so many seemingly sensible and often well educated people think this is anything more than littering or believe the balloons will fly to heaven.

I've genuinely stopped talking to someone who used to be a close friend because they simply couldn't understand how selfish it was. A few others heard and couldn't believe how unsupportive I was as apparently because she was going through a difficult time I shouldn't have said anything.

Chinese lanterns caused a fire in woods near us last summer which then spread to a farm and unfortunately by the time the firemen got there it was to late to save anything...balloons, lanterns, poop bags hanging on trees should be banned banned