Jules she/her4d ago

Is it time to ban balloon releases, or indeed balloons altogether?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/02/the-dark-side-of-the-balloon-boom-is-it-time-they-were-banned

I'd say yes, not just for the rubbish they scatter over the countryside but also because as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has recently hopefully demonstrated, helium is a finite resource with important medical and scientific applications

The dark side of the balloon boom – is it time they were banned?

From balloon arches at parties to mass balloon releases at funerals, these bits of floating rubber and plastic can have disastrous effects on wildlife. As some retailers are refusing to sell them, here are some alternatives

The Guardian
Show threadsunflowerinrain

@afewbugs
Vile things, helium balloons.

I try to smother feelings of violence, but the "Oh, but it's pretty!" excuse for poisoning and other destruction makes me want to slap.

When I read of war-created problems with helium supplies I thought, after horror at the implications for medical applications, that at least it would stop the balloons.

Apr 2 at 10:52amWeb