Letting a balloon fly up into the sky is a beautiful sight but have you ever thought about what happens when that balloon inevitably comes back down to earth? If you haven’t you should because the balloons let go for wedding ceremonies and other celebrations are doing enormous damage to our environment and wildlife.

RELATED ARTICLE:

“Balloons Blow is an organization which is raising awareness about this dangerous, global concern. They explain the motivation behind their cause,

‘All released balloons, including those falsely marketed as ‘biodegradable latex,’ return to Earth as ugly litter. They kill countless animals and cause dangerous power outages. Balloons are also a waste of Helium, a finite resource. Balloons can travel thousands of miles and pollute the most remote and pristine places.’” 1

The truth is, balloons can travel thousands of miles, and pollute even the most remote spots, including our oceans where birds, whales, sea turtles, etc…, eat them because they mistake them for food. Once an animal swallows a balloon, it can block its intestinal tract, and starve them to death. But it’s not just the balloon, the ribbons and strings that are often attached can cause entanglement & death, as well.

RELATED ARTICLE:

So what should you do instead? Consider using a decoration that won’t be carried away by the wind or even better, something that’s actually GOOD for the environment: plant a tree.

RELATED ARTICLE:

Share this info with your friends and family. We’ve got to start protecting our environment now, for ourselves and our children.

Sources and References

  1. Eco News Media, October 5, 2017.