DO CHILDREN REALISE THE DAMAGE THEY CAUSE BY RELEASING BALLOONS.

The balloon industry is responsible for millions (maybe even billions) of seabird, marine mammals and land based mammal deaths. The right wing media see it as “woke” eco fanatics spoiling the “freedoms” of people to have fun. Not much fun for the creatures who die horrendous deaths caused by the irresponsible behaviour of careless parents and children. Laguna Beach – the California city known for surfers, waves, rolling hills – grabbed headlines for enacting a strict ban on the sale and use of balloons. The city council passed the resolution on citing wildfire risk and the fact that balloons are a huge source of marine trash and deaths. Beginning in 2024, balloons of all types will not be permitted to be used on public property or at city events, with violators facing fines of up to $500. The move is part of a growing trend. Maryland and Virginia banned intentional balloon releases in 2021, Hawaii followed suit in 2022, with New York and Florida now considering similar measures. And like plastic bags and other pollutants, experts say balloon bans could catch on more widely as awareness rises of the harms that the popular celebratory item causes to the environment. Coastal cities are at the leading edge of legislating even stricter bans on balloons like the one in Laguna Beach, says Anja Brandon, associate director of US plastics policy at the nonprofit environmental group Ocean Conservancy. Part of that is because coastal cities are experiencing the environmental effects first-hand, but also paying for it, she says. “Many of these cities use taxpayers’ dollars to pay for beach cleanup, especially where tourism is important.”