AIBU to object to balloon and lantern memorial releases for environmental reasons ?

[Ihsk]

I do wish people would stop releasing balloons in tribute to lost loved ones.

Balloons don’t up to heaven. They travel a few miles and usually land in a farmer’s field. Where animals eat the balloon and get very ill or die.

This method is a cruel and other creatures can die.

Also still can get Chinese lanterns online. Anyone setting these off now are idiots. Forest fires

Plant a tree? Donate to a relevant charity? Hold a memorial service? There are alternatives to sending dangerous litter into the sky…incredibly stupid thing to do.

Unfortunately, the only type of person that releases balloons or lanterns nowadays is an absolute moron. And there’s no getting through to a moron. They don’t care because they are mentally deficient.

No but they kill children living in the UK, which is higher up on my concern list in terms of priority.

Thanks for this OP. I wholeheartedly agree.

Would you consider maybe just putting 40 pieces of coloured latex straight into the local stream / farmers field / wildlife moors instead? Which will then be around in several hundred years time, way after you yourself have ‘passed’?

Same overall result.

Just sadly a bit less performative & Insta-worthy.

The ignorance of @BeSunnyLemonSheep is baffling.

Oh you’re just so clever! 🤨

I'm asking genuinely, how does releasing balloons bring your family member to you? Surely it's your being together and thinking about them that does that?

The good alternative is not doing it.

What selfish attitude. You already know the damage that they can cause to wild life, farm animals who end up dying a slow and painful death.
I hope you're proud of yourself 😡

Why do you need a ballon to know they’re always with you? Are your feelings for your loved one that shallow that you need a physical reminder? Why not a tree? Or a celebratory pint on significant days? Why specifically is a ballon the only way to remember someone?

I need to think about this coz there's clearly money in providing props for performative grief wanks. Maybe some sort of drone that sings "Bye bye Nanny Pat" on repeat as it circumvents the globe gathering weather data.

People can light a candle in church or add loved ones anniversary to the list read out in church or in book at crematorium or flowers on grave or at their memorial bench.

I don’t mind her having a balloon - just keep it indoors where they belong !

This is lovely, it's appropriate to the family member who died, and it's leaving a positive impact in his community for people who'll see the flowers and for the ecosystem that will benefit from the planting.

As a former livestock owner both balloons and lanterns are a bloody menace. They should both be banned. I've had a horse injured by the wire from a lantern, needed stitches and box rest, could have been a lot worse. Not to mention the fire risk, there were round bales of hay in the neighbouring field ready to come in, could've lost the whole lot.

Come on now, I think perhaps LemonSheeps relative died choking on a balloon so its an entirely fitting tribute…

Not performative enough. How am I gonna make an insta reel out of that? My followers need to know how devastated I am.

However did every generation of humans ever to walk the earth mourn their dead prior to the recent invention of latex? They must all be roaming purgatory, with unresolved grief. If only there’d been balloons in those days. Nothing says ‘closure’ like enforcing man-made tat on our beautiful world.

I know that when I die my loved ones will take constant solace in yearly littering of the environment, choking of livestock and contribution to landfill. I’m touched that’ll be in my honour 🥹 🙏🏻 🕊️ 🎈 🗑️ 🚮

And she's right too.

Some alternatives

https://www.butterflyconnections.co.uk/funeral_releases.html

https://www.dovesoflife.co.uk/funerals/

https://sowmanyseeeds.co.uk/collections/memorial-seed-favours

Exactly. How will the Gram know that Nanna Elsie would have been 117 today and is with the angles? [Sic]

Ah….

Would your relative be ok with horses, sheep and other animals being killed in their name?

celebrate their death with more death?