Mass Balloon Releases

[campbeji]

Originally Posted by Darley

Oh and I forgot one other quote:

'Ars3hole'

Keep smiling out of it.

Hi Darley,

A bit of an anger management problem mate.

I've noticed this attitude a few time in eco nuts, if your having problems with an argument use force or rudeness.

I get the impression you don't like me joining your little club.

Kepping on smiling

Jim

ps I don't mean eco nut as a derrogotory term to people who are interested in protecting the environment, just nutters.

[campbeji]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

I totally agree with you, but also, regardless of 'actual' harm to wildlife...what about just the whole 'littering' the countryside aspect?.
During my time working at RSPB Elmley Nature reserve (Saltmarsh/grazing marsh) the place was littered with deflated or burst ballons of latex type and the metal/foil type...and it should not look like that in such an otherwise beautiful landscape....added to that the direct affect on certain wildlife species and the affect it can cause to allergy sufferers i just cant see any pluses for releasing hundreds of bags of gas into the air other than helping this guys business stay afloat (geddit?)

Hey Dan,

I keep hearing this type of story, and it always confuses me a little, there always seems to be so many balloons lying around and yet I don't think I have ever seen one. No thats wrong, I saw one in Greece last year in a harbour, beside a milk carton and a condom, plus a bunch of other rubbish, I couldnt tell if it was from a mass balloon release or not.

Anyway I have walked many miles of beach, forst park, nature reserve, mountain and I really don't remember seeing any dead balloons, lots of other stuff, plastic bag, beer and soft drink cans, TV's, plastics of all sorts, oil cans, cars etc etc.

The biggest release I ever did was about 8000 balloons, in total about 24kg of latex, and I would say that there was more junk dumped by the audience of the event.

Pluses for balloon releases, there are a few, not least the money raised for all sorts of charities, oh and I'd say that less than 2% of my businesses turnover comes from mass balloon releases.

Again, show me the proof of the affect of mass balloon releases on animals, do you have any, have you seen any, have you asked anyone for it, or are you (as most people do) repeating something you've been told.

TTFN

Jim

[campbeji]

Originally Posted by Darley

Oh I forgot your reference to rubber plants. Of course, there was no harm to the rainforest that was burned down in order to plant hundreds of acres of rubber trees, was there?

Of course there is you dummy. But I recon it's better to be planting trees again than just logging the whole place and turning it into wasteland or farms to make your margarine. Remember that the rainforests are being destroyed anyway whether mass balloon releases are baned or not.

I must do a bit more research on the harvesting of natural latex, I'm pretty sure a lot of it comes from non plantation trees.

Still smiling

Jim

[campbeji]

Originally Posted by Darley

Thanks Dan, but I think the concept of littering would be lost on someone who thinks rubber plantations are better than rainforest, and killing already-endangered species is a bit of a laugh.

Keep smiling Jim

Hey Darley,

Again with the insults, your Mother would be proud.

You didn't say what you profession was, Journalist perhaps, you do seem to have a knack of mis-quoting people to prove your point. Still if you can't provide any facts then just insult them, good tactics. Your NUJ card is in the post

Littering, this is another I hear on a regular basis. Mass balloon releases can't be defined as littering in law. If it was don't you think people would be arrested or fined or charged or whatever, it's never happened and without a change in the law it won't happen. Of course there is always the chance that the law will be changed, especially if it is up to the mis-informed.

Smiling on (This dosn't irrate you, does it)

Jim

[tigger]

Razorbill caught in balloon debris on a beach (picture by Christine McGuinness)



I think this speaks for itself.... if proof were ever needed

Also, an extract from the Sea Turtle Rescue Hospital website in the Florida Keys "A variety of turtle ailments are treated here, including flipper amputations caused by fishing line and trap rope entanglements, shell damage caused by boat collisions, and intestinal impactions caused by ingestion of foreign materials such as plastic bags, balloons, and fishing line and/or hooks."

I have visited this hospital and seen scans of turtles with balloons in their intestines. Maybe you would like to contact them for proof....

Jane

[campbeji]

Originally Posted by tigger

Razorbill caught in balloon debris on a beach (picture by Christine McGuinness)



I think this speaks for itself.... if proof were ever needed

Also, an extract from the Sea Turtle Rescue Hospital website in the Florida Keys "A variety of turtle ailments are treated here, including flipper amputations caused by fishing line and trap rope entanglements, shell damage caused by boat collisions, and intestinal impactions caused by ingestion of foreign materials such as plastic bags, balloons, and fishing line and/or hooks."

I have visited this hospital and seen scans of turtles with balloons in their intestines. Maybe you would like to contact them for proof....

Jane

Hi Tigger,

This is a prime example of the problem I'm talking about, this type of thing happens, there is no denying that, but it is very unlikley that this balloon came from a mass balloon release, it has a valve and a ribbon on it, both things which are expressly forbiden within the industrys code of conduct and would also make a balloon release very difficult to do. I would say that this balloon came from a store promotion and was let go by whoever the balloon was given too.

So, should we ban mass balloon releases because of problems with promotional balloons, no I don't think so.

Thank you Jane, at last someone is trying to be fair and providing an attempt at proof, I will contact these people and let you know what they say. I would point out that this raises another point, what other things can kill wildlife, your quote mentioned fishing lines and hooks, boat collisions, plastic bags, according to the evidence I've seen these items cause far more deaths than you would think.

In every case where I have read about balloons being implicated in the death of a sea creature there has always been other items involved, such as bags, fishing line, hooks, etc

Thanks

Jim