Every week at Husker football home games the first touchdown is celebrated by the release of thousands of balloons. These supposedly biodegradable latex, single use balloons travel hundreds and thousands of miles (some as far as Michigan), with the potential to ensnare wildlife with their ribbons and choke them to death through the balloon material itself. Littering most anywhere else carries a monetary fine and / or jail time, yet this isn't the case for balloon releases.

We believe such a tradition that celebrates the community spirit of Husker football, Lincoln, and Nebraska is in fact undermining the place we treasure, value, and call home. New traditions need to be established that celebrate the total community of our state and region that we love. We applaud the recycling efforts going on at Husker games, and ask that this sort of responsible caretaking and stewardship be extended to ending balloon releases immediately. For more information on the dangers of ballons -- and pictures of their non-biodegrabable properties after 2 years of being buried in soil -- please link here.