Ballon launches

[old greybeard]

In our woods, at the beach, everywhere I find ballons. Constantly. At least 2-3 a year just on my 11 acres in the middle of nowhere.
Why are mass or any ballon launches allowed?
Just had a picture in the city paper 150 miles from my land. Some punk got himself shot, included in the story about what a great guy he was, and how he was turning his life around, was a picture of a group launching dozens of mylar balloons.
Should be outlawed!

 

[brenndatomu]

In our woods, at the beach, everywhere I find ballons. Constantly. At least 2-3 a year just on my 11 acres in the middle of nowhere.
Why are mass or any ballon launches allowed?
Just had a picture in the city paper 150 miles from my land. Some punk got himself shot, included in the story about what a great guy he was, and how he was turning his life around, was a picture of a group launching dozens of mylar balloons.
Should be outlawed!

Cleveland just banned "large quantity" balloon launches...only $150 fine though...if they catch you...I'm thinking some people will still do it.

Hang on to your balloons! Releasing them has been banned in Cleveland

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) – Cleveland City Council approved an ordinance Monday night that bans the release of more than 10 balloons. The legislation points out the environmental impact of balloon rele…

fox8.com

 

[stoveliker]

I agree. Should be banned. It's littering.
Plastic pollution.
And it wasted precious helium.

 

[peakbagger]

I find the mylar carcasses way out in the woods. With the price of Helium going up big time it hopefully will lead to far fewer floating ballons being sold. Of course some entrepreneur without a sense of ethics could fill them with hydrogen. It might work okay outdoors as long as there no open ignition sources, Not so good indoors at a kids birthday party with candles on the cake.

Trivia, the Hindenberg was originally designed to use Helium but the US who used to have the only supply in the world would not allow its export so it was switched to Hydrogen. The US eventually declared helium non strategic and effectively gave away the supply.

 

[kborndale]

I'm surprised nobody had invented a biodegradable balloon that is cost effective.

 

[stoveliker]

I'm surprised nobody had invented a biodegradable balloon that is cost effective.

Maybe they have been invented. Don't know.
But no one wants to spend double the money on something (disposable, erm, throw-away) like that?

Price point matters in these things.

 

[peakbagger]

I was impressed at how well a Sky Lantern degrades. I had one get caught in tree and the paper was gone after a few rainstorms and the wire frame rusted away in about a year. I would never launch them in the non snow season but they are kind of fun in the winter at night.

 

[woodgeek]

I'm surprised nobody had invented a biodegradable balloon that is cost effective.

Clearly the latex ones (given out as freebies in family restaurants) degrade faster than mylar. But it still takes awhile.

We composted 'biodegradable' balloons. Here's what we found after 16 weeks

Since 1989, the balloon industry has relied on a problematic study that claimed balloons degraded “at about the same rate as oak tree leaves” after six weeks. We put it to the test.

theconversation.com

 

[firefighterjake]

Our town banned large balloon releases a few years back in 2019.

Unity residents OK ordinance prohibiting mass balloon releases

The new rule approved at Town Meeting prohibits the release of 10 or more balloons within a 24-hour period.

www.centralmaine.com

 

[Dan Freeman]

I worry about a number of things, but balloons are not one of them. Folks will do what they will do since most either don't care or are totally unaware.

 

[yooperdave]