| Anything we could do, anything we would choose as an effective demonstration would leave its environmental footprint. Absolutely.
A protest march carrying signs, driving to congregate, eating, drinking water, it all has an impact.
Many people actually don’t have the means to join a group, travel anywhere, or even walk in unity. They are limited within the constraints of their lives, their economic status, their remoteness from others and even the scrutiny of their government or social structure.
Think outside yourselves, outside the conditioning of your response. The actual research on Balloon Releases, specifically Latex Helium Balloons as opposed to plastic is not overwhelming but it’s not insignificant either.
In releases of a 10,000 balloon concentration the balloons will typically rise to approximately 29,000 feet altitude. At that height they are frozen and brittle. The gas inside expands exponentially and the balloon bursts into thousand of pieces falling back to earth in coverage of 1 part per 5 square miles.
The latex is biodegradable and the helium is inert. The latex biodegrades at the rate of an oak leaf.
So, yes, there will be litter. Biodegradable litter. There will be pieces that may present a choking hazard to small birds and marine life. But why would they eat it? Naturally each species knows how to safely forage for nourishment. An animal may sample it and decide to eat it but that would be the exception, not the rule. An animal can eat and choke on an oak leaf or a number of different things.
The latex begins to biodegrade upon inflation. Sunlight and UV rays expedite this process. A finely shredded and widespread mulch is infinitely less hazardous than a land fill. Birds and all sorts of wildlife freely encounter all manner of plastics, toxins and more at a landfill.
Floating on the surface of the water the latex would be exposed to harsh UV rays that would accelerate decomposition. Fish commonly are attracted to bright colors and would most certainly “try” a balloon fragment. They try numerous food sources continually as they forage. They routinely reject and eject what is not food.
Sea turtles will sample whole balloons because they look like jellyfish. These are a hazard and they can choke on them. Balloons that have a defect or a leak may not make altitude to freeze and explode. These have been shown in a concentration of 10,000 balloons to occur at a rate of one per every 16 square miles. The prevailing winds on the West Coast of the USA carry airborne balloons away from the ocean.
Let’s look at the big picture. What can we do that has minimal environmental impact. If we act responsibly I believe this is a good thing.
If we release 10,000 balloons into the flight path where aircraft are descending into or out of airports, that’s not responsible. And if our effort should generate enough united support that that becomes a concern I believe it will be a wonderful thing! Imagine having to issue travel alerts for aircraft because so many balloons world-wide can be expected on May 8th? This is what I hope for, a peaceful, non-violent, visual notice and disruption from the norm that the powers that be ( government and corporate) will notice and care about.
This can bring about positive change.
On the other hand, how much environmental damage and pollution is caused by:
One car bomb?
One Exploded Oil Platform?
One small war?
One Nuclear Bomb. There have been over 2,000 nuclear bomb detonations worldwide and most of those by the US! Why is cancer so prevalent in our world?
Use your imagination. Unless we do something, here soon won’t be anything left to save. |
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Previously published:All 10 blog entries |
