Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Friday 17 august 2018

A rising concern? After straws, balloons get more scrutiny

By CANDICE CHOI balloon trailing behind it.
Associated Press The report addresses the
NEW YORK (AP) — Now “rising concern” of bal-
that plastic straws may loons, which also often use
be headed for extinction, helium, a non-renewable
could Americans’ love of resource. It notes the diffi-
balloons be deflated? culty of changing a social
The joyous celebration of norm and that even typing
releasing balloons into the “congrats” in a Facebook
air has long bothered en- post results in an animation
vironmentalists, who say of balloons. It even claims
the pieces that fall back the media play a role and
to earth can be deadly to that some groups con-
seabirds and turtles that duct balloon releases “just
eat them. So as compa- so reporters will cover the
nies vow to banish plastic event.”
straws, there are signs bal- “We don’t want to say
loons will be among the don’t use them at all. We’re
products to get more scru- saying just don’t release
tiny, even though they’re a them,” says Laura McKay
very small part of environ- of the Virginia Coastal Zone
mental pollution. Management Program.
This year, college football Some states such as Cali-
powerhouse Clemson Uni- In this Sept. 26, 2015 photo, balloons are released after Nebraska touchdown against Southern fornia ban balloon releas-
versity is ending its tradition Miss during first half of NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb. es for other reasons. Pa-
of releasing 10,000 balloons Associated Press cific Gas & Electric, which
into the air before games, Following efforts to limit ered — like festive balloons. don’t accidentally float serves northern and central
a move that’s part of its plastic bags, the push by “The issue of straws has re- away. Lorna O’Hara, ex- California, says metallic
sustainability efforts. In Vir- environmentalists against ally broadened the marine ecutive director of the Bal- balloons caused 203 pow-
ginia, a campaign that straws has gained traction debris issue,” says Emma loon Council, doesn’t dis- er outages in the first five
urges alternatives to bal- in recent months, partly be- Tonge of the National Oce- pute that marine creatures months of this year, up 22
loon releases at weddings cause they’re seen as un- anic and Atmospheric Ad- might mistake balloons for percent from a year ago.
is expanding. And a town necessary for most. Com- ministration. People might jellyfish and eat them. But Lacoste thinks other towns,
in Rhode Island outright panies including Starbucks not realize balloons are a she says that doesn’t mean particularly those along the
banned the sale of all bal- and Disney are promising danger, she says, because balloons are necessarily coasts, will also ban bal-
loons earlier this year, citing to phase out plastic straws, of their “light and whimsi- causing their deaths. loons as people become
the harm to marine life. which can be difficult to re- cal” image. Clean Virginia Waterways more aware of environ-
“There are all kinds of alter- cycle because of their size Balloons are not among the still thinks balloons can be mental issues. He notes that
natives to balloons, a lot of and often end up as trash top 10 kinds of debris found harmful. Included in its re- plastic bags were once
ways to express yourself,” in the ocean. A handful of in coastal cleanups, but port last year: A photo of a seen as harmless, but many
says Kenneth Lacoste, first U.S. cities recently passed Tongue says they’re com- soaring bird with a deflated places now ban them.q
warden of New Shoreham, or are considering bans. mon and especially haz-
Rhode Island, who cites And the push may bring at- ardous to marine animals,
posters, piñatas and deco- tention to other items peo- which can also get entan-
rated paper. ple may not have consid- gled in balloon strings.
Chelsea Rochman, an as-
sistant professor of ecology
at the University of Toronto,
says people should think
systemically about waste
and pollution, but that ef-
forts to bring attention to
specific products shouldn’t
be dismissed as too minor.
“If we said that about ev-
erything, we wouldn’t get
anything done,” she says.
Already, a few states re-
strict balloon releases to
some extent, according to
the Balloon Council, which
represents the industry and
advocates for the responsi-
ble handling of its products
to “uphold the integrity of
the professional balloon
community.” That means
never releasing them into
In this Oct. 14, 2017, file photo balloons are released in Memorial the air, and ensuring the In this Oct. 5, 2017, file photo Annette Antwi, of Newark, N.J.,
Stadium before an NCAA college football game between strings have a weight tied releases balloons while celebrating her birthday in front of a
Indiana and Michigan in Bloomington, Ind. to them so the balloons fountain at Branch Brook Park in Newark, N.J.
Associated Press Associated Press