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Chinese Lanterns and their effects on birds (1 Viewer)

It's the bloody balloons that bug me...you just KNOW the olymoic shite will include mass releases...from same website under "Litter":

•Balloons
Once balloons burst, animals can mistake them for food and can choke.

- Cut used balloons into pieces before putting in the bin.

- Avoid balloon releases as the balloons can land anywhere. Read more in our wildlife factsheet above on the right.
 
I watched one of these come down in a builders yard a couple of weeks ago, which must be up there on the list of places not to randomly introduce flames late at night. Add to that heathland , dry forest, gutters filled with leaves, industrial sites and so on, they aren't a particularly good idea.
 
The paper lanterns are biodegradable. Unfortunately, the framework isn't and as McMadd says, balloons are very slow to break down, especially if they fall in water. I am glad someone has raised this subject at last.
 
angusmcoatup said:
I watched one of these come down in a builders yard a couple of weeks ago, which must be up there on the list of places not to randomly introduce flames late at night. Add to that heathland , dry forest, gutters filled with leaves, industrial sites and so on, they aren't a particularly good idea.
Click to expand...

They don't come down until the flame has gone out.

The one that annoys me most is the plastic rings for holding four and six packs of beer together.
 
Nightranger said:
The paper lanterns are biodegradable. Unfortunately, the framework isn't and as McMadd says, balloons are very slow to break down, especially if they fall in water. I am glad someone has raised this subject at last.
Click to expand...

I'm dubious about the multitude of products labelled "bio-degradable". In the case of Eco friendly Chinese lanterns I can't see how fire retardant bits of brightly coloured material can be classed as anything other than litter once they've been used. Some things seem like a good idea but turn out to be a bad idea.

Prime example of missing the point here. http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2009/05/30/biodegradable-ufo-like-plates-for-cleaner-picnics/

Just chuck them in a bush after you've finished with them!
 
Shame in some respects as they can look nice.

Maybe a bit of willow and some properly natural paper products would be better anyway. Have to admit the owl pic looks a bit more like a freak occurence to me, but the littering/damage to livestock not underestimated (and potential fire risk, especially in the summer*).


Remember seeing them drift over for the first time a few years ago when we lived in Swanley - had the benefit of bins to resolve what they actually were, amused to hear the next door neighbour excitedly telling his friend on his mobile that he was watching a meteor shower ...

(*summer = figuratively speaking of course)
 
Twite, you don't know what you're talking about. I had my tent burnt down by a Chinese lantern last summer in Kent. Plenty of witnesses saw the thing descend whilst it was still alight.
 
Twite said:
They don't come down until the flame has gone out.
Click to expand...

which is exactly why they have manged to start a large number fires over the last 3 years, including countryside, peoples houses and peoples cars. if you are going to make claims please make them factual or alternatively google chinese lantern starts fire, where you will see a plethora of reports from local newspapers telling the stories of people properties being destroyed


of course if you release one and it does come doown and burn someones house down with them in it you are legally an arsonist, and would deserve the time in prison for being a complete ******** and releasing one of the damned things in the first place,
 
I was in Changsha, Hunan, China for the last few weeks. Last Saturday week, we (family) went to the riverside to watch the fireworks display celebrating the festival of Qu Yuan. My kids insisted on buying the fire-balloons, and although I hate them (and always collect remnants, when I come across them, from the fields roundabout home to dispose of them properly), I caved in and bought them. Nearby was a line of deck-chairs, hired out to spectators of the fireworks. We went down to the riverside, checked the wind direction, and lit a balloon. It took some time rising as the air was hot and humid, and when it did, it rose, and fell, in the wrong direction, right on top of two deck-chairs that luckily had no occupants. Both chairs were damaged by the flames, and I paid the guy in charge of them for the cost of the chairs. Had there been occupants, they would have been injured, and I would have been in serious trouble. Never, ever again.
 
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Farmers also want them banned due to the dangers involving livestock and the risk of setting hay barns alight

all very well to talk of prosecution, but how do you get a positive ID of the person who set the thing off?
 
It seems to be a sign of the times these days to let off lanterns and fireworks for the slightest thing. I remember the days when all you got was a few fireworks on bonfire night and that was it.
 
McMadd said:
It's the bloody balloons that bug me...you just KNOW the olymoic shite will include mass releases...from same website under "Litter":

•Balloons
Once balloons burst, animals can mistake them for food and can choke.

- Cut used balloons into pieces before putting in the bin.

- Avoid balloon releases as the balloons can land anywhere. Read more in our wildlife factsheet above on the right.
Click to expand...

This Friday, Alcester Olympic Committee and the Mayor, are going ahead with a balloon release, despite knowing what the consequences could be, and the organisations against it. Just goes to show how arrogant and selfish some folk can be.
 
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