Humans are the most wasteful species of this planet, as we tend to accumulate a lot of things in our lifetime, which will end up in the dumpster once something new or exciting comes along the way.
We already know that plastic waste is causing big trouble for the environment, but now animal lovers started to raise awareness about another issue: balloons released in the atmosphere. It might seem like a harmless activity, but these released balloons can end up ingested by birds, turtles or dolphins and they can even get tangled up in them.
The biggest danger comes from the fact, that wildlife can get confused about these colorful items and perceive balloons as food. These released balloons can get tangled in trees and electrical cords and once they deflate, the wind will take them to several places.
They can end up back on Earth, fall into our oceans and can be left abandoned in forests.
The consequences of this are obvious, as deflated balloons pose a real danger to wildlife and can cause sudden death if ingested.
Thanks to Balloons Blow, an organization that tries to educate people about these issues, there is a greater awareness about the environmental consequences of released balloons and people are starting to act.
They explains:
“All released balloons, including those falsely marketed as “biodegradable latex,” return to Earth as ugly litter. They kill countless animals and cause dangerous power outages.
Balloons are also a waste of Helium, a finite resource. Balloons can travel thousands of miles and pollute the most remote and pristine places.
Once they do, they become a danger to any animal that comes in contact with it.”
So spread the word, so everyone can learn more about the amazing work they are doing.
