POLL: Fireworks and the Environment

[doublehelix]

We love the red, white, blue and green of fireworks. But fireworks are not so green. They contain toxic chemicals, including in some cases perchlorate, which is known to inhibit the working of the thyroid gland in humans. The quantity of perchlorate was found to spike in a lake from which 4th of July fireworks were shot from. Meanwhile, chemists are working on greener fireworks that would not be so harmful to the environment.

[summerswan]

Fireworks should be made safer and limited to professionals only. The pollution left behind leaves me with breathing problems and a Migraine.

[Tarius]

Well, if they can keep them looking the same then why not. Otherwise, whats the point? Its not like they light firworks off everyday, I know around me, its typically new years and July 4th, and thats it. About hour(give or take some, most likely take) 2-3 times a year isnt exactly toxic, specifically when they launch them into the sky. I am sure that prolonged exposure to vehicle exhaust has much more of a health effect.

As to the supposed smoke blanket, what shows have you been to? Covering an entire town in smoke? I know when I hear exaggeration, and this is it. I have been to plenty of fireworks displays and none of them are that bad(although after that one year of launching towards a gas station and one going off on the ground, the place I usually go changed procedures ) Perhaps the air was really still or something, but that more warrents watching the weather. However, they launch them into the air so the smoke would have to have drifted back down meaning the air was moving and therefore it wouldnt have stayed around anyway. Still exarggeration. I will beleive this if I see a picture of it.

[Blackcloud161]

Environmentally friendly...
What a sham.
EVERYTHING bio-degrades in time.
Sure the VERY short impact may be inconvenient to US
But Mother-nature measures things on the vast scale of millions of years if not hundreds of millions.. not petty decades or centuries.
So call it what it is Human friendly.. Because honestly we are the ones who may find things unfriendly. NOT the environment.
Even 15 tons of Plutonium will be dispersed and nearly all traces erased after 10 to 15 million years of weathering.

[drwayne]

Some years, like this one, I have a huuge concern with fireworks. The greenbelt that starts on one
side of our house is VERY dry this year. I have definite concerns about wildfire. Not from the professional
displays, which are done over water, but from the kids and grown-up kids who buy fireworks from out
of state* and bring them here, and shoot them with no concern whatsoever about where they come down.

Wayne

*In Florida, anything that is shot into the air, like rockets or mortar type fireworks are illegal.

[GMLoGMD]

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, is cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. --- C. S. Lewis

[steve_67]

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, is cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. --- C. S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis died from perchlorate poisoning.

[jrlebsock]

C.S. Lewis died from perchlorate poisoning.

Talk about making his point for him. C. S. Lewis died from end stage renal failure. But whatever helps makes it ok for you force rules and regulations on the rest of us to protect me from me. Man I wish government and its worshipers would go find a cliff and jump off.

[drwayne]

"But whatever helps makes it ok for you force rules and regulations on the rest of us to protect me from me."

Actually, what makes you think that *you* are the only one impacted by your actions in this case?
If you endanger the health and welfare of your neighbors, then such an argument is very short
sighted*

Wayne

*This 4th, our neighbors did nearly set the woods on fire.