https://reasonstobecheerful.world/is-it-time-to-break-up-with-fireworks/
"On the Fourth of July, 300 drones will take to the skies above Laguna Beach in
Orange County, California. To celebrate Independence Day, they will paint the
stars and stripes and giant letters U-S-A in red, white and blue into the sky
above the Laguna shores, creating a spectacular light show in patriotic colors.
But this year, one thing will be notably different: For the first time, the
coastal city will use drones instead of pyrotechnics, and except for the aahs
and oohs of the viewers, the night will be fantastically quiet.
“At the end of the day, this comes down to protecting our environment, veterans
and our wildlife,” Laguna Beach Mayor Pro Tem Alex Rounaghi said about the
decision.
Laguna Beach will join La Jolla, North Lake Tahoe, parts of Los Angeles, and a
growing number of other cities around the world that have decided to stop
launching rockets in favor of more environmentally friendly celebrations.
This is the cities’ response to residents’ and animal rescuers’ requests, but
also to fire and safety concerns. A 2023 court ruling in California tightened
environmental rules for fireworks and led to new permit regulations by the LA
Regional Water Quality Control Board for pyrotechnics over water.
Fireworks have been a US tradition since early settlers brought them to the
first American Independence Day celebration in 1777. And their invention dates
back to a millennium before that, when Chinese alchemists invented the first
manmade fireworks, intended to scare away evil spirits.
But I’ve seen first-hand the devastation that fireworks can cause. For several
years, when I volunteered as a marine mammal rescuer with a local rescue
organization, we reliably collected dozens of distressed sea lion pups and
disoriented birds in the days after the big bang of Independence Day. Animal
shelters routinely clear their kennels before the Fourth of July (a.k.a.
euthanize resident dogs who haven’t been adopted) in preparation for the influx
of panicked dogs and cats that jump their owners’ yards, terrified when the big
booms go off. Studies in Europe confirm that fireworks displace migratory birds
long-term, cause birds to abandon their nests for good and lead wild horses to
injure themselves when they flee the noise.
“It’s terrible for cats and dogs and wildlife,” animal rescuer Tami Carter in
San Diego says about the impact. “Some run into traffic, birds fly into
buildings and some animals like wild bunnies die from the stress.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
