Banning Balloons
Styrofoam.
Single-use bags.
Disposable forks & spoons.
Plastic straws.
I would consider all 4 of those on the "endangered list". Various jurisdictions have banned one or more of them to various degrees. Or are considering banning them.
Here's 1 more: balloon releases.
Bans on straws and plastic bags have spread across the country as people grapple with a growing awareness of the problem of pollution – particularly in the oceans. But there's another environmental movement that has gained less traction and publicity while still aiming for a similar goal: balloon bans.
Both chambers of Maryland's General Assembly this month (February 2020) approved bills to create a statewide ban on the intentional release of balloons. Both would create a fine of up to $250 for violations.
The proposals come after Maryland's Queen Anne's County unanimously passed an ordinance in August to stop the release of nonbiodegradable helium balloons. It was the first Maryland county to do so. The idea came from Queen Anne's Conservation Association Director Jay Falstad. He says the balloons can get stuck in trees, the Chesapeake Bay or in giant clusters of trash in the Atlantic Ocean.
Queen Anne's County is not the only place blowing up on balloons. South Carolina's Clemson University in 2018 ended its 30-year tradition of releasing 10,000 balloons into the air on football gamedays.
Several states, including California, Florida and Tennessee, have also banned mass balloon releases.
But then, things start to get crazy:
Some places are going a step further and looking at banning the sale of balloons entirely.
State lawmakers in Massachusetts are considering legislation that would prohibit the sale and use of balloons. The bill got a hearing in October, but it hasn't seen any further movement in the House or Senate.
While halting releases could secure the needed support, full-out bans might be hard for people to swallow, says Greg Sullivan, research director at Pioneer Institute, a research organization based in Massachusetts.
Ban balloons? With all of society's ills, time is being wasted on discussing the prohibition of balloons?
Wowzas! Where will this go?
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt
p.s. there is a non-profit called "Balloons Blow" that has a updated listing of all balloon ban laws; find it here: https://balloonsblow.org/laws-concerning-balloons/
