Stop all "Balloon Releases" in Kentucky
The Issue
According to the NOAA, in the below article, "what goes up, must come down". Balloons being released in memorial or celebration, are not only irresponsible littering, and terrible for the environment, but they are also a danger to livestock and wildlife. These balloons can get caught in overhead wires, tress, or worse, upon deflating they will return to the earth landing in forests, pastures and waterways, posing a significant risk for all kinds of animals.
In the below 2015 article, published by the U.S. Fish and Widlife Service, it is explained through a series of gruesome photos, just how devestating these balloons can be to animals. Birds being caught in the strings and hanged from telephone wires. Sea turtles choked to death from mistaking a mylar balloon for a piece of food. It is mentioned in the article that the images may be disturbing to some viewers, but they certainly need to be shared with those that aren't aware of the implications of releasing balloons into the atmosphere. It is a painful wakeup call and one that has sparked my call to action, as I continue to see more and more balloons released on our local communities.
In a study of marine animal mortality, conducted by the University of Tasmania, it was discovered that "balloons or balloon fragments were the marine debris most likely to cause mortality, and they killed almost one in five of the seabirds that ingested them." Although Kentucky is not near the sea, these balloons have been known to travel hundreds of miles before deflating and returning to the earth. That means a balloon released in Kentucky may end up in a local farmers pasture and could harm his cows, or it may very well end up in or near the ocean, posing the same life threatening risk for marine life.
To put it plain and simple, non-biodegradable Balloon Releases are an irresponsible way to "memorialize" or "celebrate" a human life and should be illegal in all 50 states. People are inadvertently risking the lives of animals, and polluting our planet every single day, with the release of these non-biodegradable balloons. Please join me in the fight to have Balloon released banned, as there are so many other ways to celebrate a life, than to risk taking one.
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-balloons-marine-debris-mortality-seabirds.html
https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/index.php/what-goes-must-come-down
Petition Closed
The Issue
According to the NOAA, in the below article, "what goes up, must come down". Balloons being released in memorial or celebration, are not only irresponsible littering, and terrible for the environment, but they are also a danger to livestock and wildlife. These balloons can get caught in overhead wires, tress, or worse, upon deflating they will return to the earth landing in forests, pastures and waterways, posing a significant risk for all kinds of animals.
In the below 2015 article, published by the U.S. Fish and Widlife Service, it is explained through a series of gruesome photos, just how devestating these balloons can be to animals. Birds being caught in the strings and hanged from telephone wires. Sea turtles choked to death from mistaking a mylar balloon for a piece of food. It is mentioned in the article that the images may be disturbing to some viewers, but they certainly need to be shared with those that aren't aware of the implications of releasing balloons into the atmosphere. It is a painful wakeup call and one that has sparked my call to action, as I continue to see more and more balloons released on our local communities.
In a study of marine animal mortality, conducted by the University of Tasmania, it was discovered that "balloons or balloon fragments were the marine debris most likely to cause mortality, and they killed almost one in five of the seabirds that ingested them." Although Kentucky is not near the sea, these balloons have been known to travel hundreds of miles before deflating and returning to the earth. That means a balloon released in Kentucky may end up in a local farmers pasture and could harm his cows, or it may very well end up in or near the ocean, posing the same life threatening risk for marine life.
To put it plain and simple, non-biodegradable Balloon Releases are an irresponsible way to "memorialize" or "celebrate" a human life and should be illegal in all 50 states. People are inadvertently risking the lives of animals, and polluting our planet every single day, with the release of these non-biodegradable balloons. Please join me in the fight to have Balloon released banned, as there are so many other ways to celebrate a life, than to risk taking one.
https://phys.org/news/2019-03-balloons-marine-debris-mortality-seabirds.html
https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/index.php/what-goes-must-come-down
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on July 25, 2021