'Tis the season!

No, this isn't a poorly timed post.  I'm talking about the season of balloons.  That's a thing, right?  Sure!  With all the parties, BBQs, graduations, and fairs/markets, there are bunches of them around.  Now, I don't have anything against balloons, per se.  Mylar balloons don't bother me, but I really don't like latex balloons.  Now, I'm not here to stomp on anyone's good time.  Balloons are fine in certain situations, but where there is a problem is when people do balloon releases.  This can be done for many reasons: school events, memorials, even by accident when they are in use outdoors.

Balloons that are released outdoors are a problem for the environment.  What happens is, the balloons make their way to various habitats, including the ocean from a surprisingly inland distance, and animals mistake the balloons for food, or get caught up in the ribbon.

Below are some graphic photos of what can happen to animals that get caught up in bunches of balloons, or that ingest the balloons.

The following photos were found at the blog for Balloons Blow, a group that works to educate the public on the dangers of balloon releases:

Dead Black-footed Albatross entangled in latex balloons & cotton string on Zmudowski Beach, California.

http://sanctuarysimon.org/news/index.php/2013/06/seabird-and-marine-mammal-entanglement/

Photo: C.Miller/P. Brown (BeachCOMBERS)

This Albatross was clearly tangled in the string from the balloons wrapped around its body.  When this happens, it can impede the bird's ability to fly, and feed.  Occasionally, the string can get caught around the beak, making it impossible for the bird to even eat, slowly starving it to death.

This young Screech Owl was found in Pinellas County, Florida hanging by its wing, for who knows how long, at Sawgrass Park. Fortunately, they were able to get a ladder & cut him down & bring him to Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary.

Photo: D. Sauvageau

This poor owl was in a bird sanctuary, and still wasn't able to escape the balloon string.  Balloons end up everywhere!  There is no magic that keeps them from getting places they shouldn't be.

This, despite looking like a jelly fish, is a shredded balloon floating in the water.  Much like sharks can mistake surfers for seals, sea turtles will look at this, and think they have found themselves a tasty snack.  But, this is what happens:

“This green sea turtle died from ingesting marine debris, including balloons and plastic bags. We find debris in 3 out of every 10 turtles.”
Both items at the bottom right are balloons. One purple and one white.

Photo: Kathy Townsend, Turtles in Trouble
April 2014

We end up with dead sea turtles.  All sea turtle species are considered endangered.

It's not just dead animals that suffer from balloon detritus.  Beaches become littered with old balloons because they are brought there by winds.  Imagine walking along a dune, and getting your ankle caught in the balloon ribbon.

This is a bouquet of blue latex balloons, falsely marketed as “biodegradable”, with plastic ribbons from Nashville, Tennessee found on the East Coast of Florida over 800 miles away.

All I ask is that you use balloons responsibly.  If you must have them, keep them indoors, and then dispose of them properly.  There are plenty of other ways to celebrate an occasion than balloon releases:

• plant a remembrance garden, adding to it every year
• volunteer
• make a donation in the name of the person, or event you are memorializing
• blow bubbles
• light a candle
• use pinwheels
• journal
• throw an eco-friendly fundraiser

So, please, think twice before using balloons at your celebration.  Not only do they have devastating effects, but there is also a helium shortage.  More on that later . . .

This one is just for irony's sake:

Community Cleanup Project, Seattle, Washington