Question: What’s the difference between these two
scenarios?
1. An airplane flies over a river and wetlands and releases 1,000 plastic bags.
2. A group of people get together and release 1,000 balloons.
Answer: There is no difference.
All released balloons, including those falsely marketed as “biodegradable latex,” return to earth as nothing more than destructive and unsightly litter. Dolphins, whales, turtles, and many other marine species, as well as animals such as cows, dogs, sheep, tortoises, and birds, have all been hurt or killed by balloons. The balloon (or balloon fragment) blocks the digestive tract, leaving them unable to take in nutrients - and they slowly starve to death.
Some states (including Florida), cities, and countries have enacted laws regarding the release of balloons. Meanwhile balloon industry entities spend millions of dollars lobbying to keep balloon releases legal. Releasing balloons should be included in already existing litter laws - after all, this activity is nothing more than organized littering.
Please…think about it – and choose, instead, an activity that celebrates and enhances our planet and its creatures.
