Balloons Blow - ESPECIALLY MYLAR!

Reprint from: http://balloonsblow.org
You will probably watch the balloon until it floats out of sight. But
many may not realize that what goes up must come down. And come down
they do, as litter on our planet.

The balloon will continue to climb in elevation until the atmospheric
pressure will cause most to pop and some to slowly deflate and float
down to Earth; but all will then descend to Earth where some will fall
on land while most will fall in the vast ocean. This is where the
balloon is clearly considered litter. After landing, the balloon (with
or without ribbons) become a ticking time bomb. The balloon can have
devastating impacts on wildlife and the environment. Balloons take years to break down. This gives plenty of time for wildlife to encounter this seemingly harmless, killer.
Growing up on the East Coast of Florida we have been cleaning the
beaches since we were very little and we have witnessed the effects of
balloon releases on wildlife and the environment. Not only collecting a
growing number of balloons every year off of the beach, on hiking
trails, and in our neighborhood but also finding them wrapped around a
dead pelican’s beak, starving it to death, entangling a baby sea turtle,
killing it before it even reached the water and a threat to any
predator that dare tries to make use of the body. Most balloons pop,
fall, and end up in the ocean like most trash that is not disposed of
properly. Many will fall on land. Once the balloon lands this is where
the balloons pose more of a threat to wildlife than some of the other
kinds of litter. The balloons are mistaken for colorful foliage or take
the shape of a jelly—a food source for many creatures. (Check out the photo gallery to see for yourself.)

Every one of the seven sea turtle species are endangered, and jellies
are sea turtles favorite food. This is why plastic bags and balloons
are often swallowed by sea turtles. Fish, dolphins, and whales are also
known to ingest these items. When swallowed, the litter can choke the
animal or eventually get lodged in the digestive tract, both leading to
death. The ribbon can also entangle any animal that comes in contact
with it, slowly killing it. Millions of animals die every year from
swallowing and getting entangled in balloons and other human debris.

We have found many different kinds of balloons over the years. We
once found a bouquet of balloons, still enact and slightly inflated,
with a logo on it for a festival in Nashville, Tennessee. The balloons
had traveled over 800 miles away and washed up on a beach from the
ocean. Just after Valentine’s Day we found thirteen balloons on a
quarter mile strip of desolate beach, all were mylar valentine day
themed balloons. You could just make out the X’s and O’s from the salt
worn plastic. A few days later, on the very same strip of beach we found
eighteen more Valentine’s Day balloons! Did people let them go on
purpose? Would they be happy knowing that their balloon could
potentially kill another life? We don’t think anyone with any compassion
or value for life would. A celebratory item should not become a lethal
weapon.

This website was created to inform people about the impacts balloons
have on wildlife and the environment, the depletion of helium, why
people release balloons, alternatives to balloon releases, laws
concerning balloon releases, what balloon enthusiast will tell you, how to help
spread the word, and also gives people a chance to share their own
story, where they found a balloon and/or where it came from, and a photo gallery where people can view photos we have personally taken and submit their own.