Do Fireworks Cause Pollution?
July 7, 2008 on 4:23 pm | In Oddball |
Evidently, yes, but they don’t count in a city’s officially recorded pollution levels.
I was asking myself the same thing as I sat on the dock of my brother-in-law’s camp in the Adirondacks Friday night. At dusk, amateur gunpowder aficionados crowded onto the tops of boathouses in our bay. They fired off hundreds (perhaps thousands) of rounds of fireworks.
Several things were going through my mind at once: “Boy, is that stuff ever loud?”; “It stinks to high heaven!”; and “Could I be in danger here?”
The lament about the loudness is self-evident but the stinky air pollution concern was new to me. Usually when I watch fireworks displays, I’m far enough away (and they are shot high enough) that they almost seem odorless. In this case, I’d say one of the most active docks was less than 100 feet away — close enough for me to smell the spent gunpowder in all its hideous glory. Now take that and multiply it by at least a million.
Once in the 1980s, I was flying on a 737 from Raleigh-Durham Airport to Boston on a clear night. It was either July 4 or the night closest to July 4 that people chose celebrate it. Flying at probably 15,000 feet, I peered out the window and could see scores of tiny-looking fireworks exhibitions from the D.C. Metro area up through eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I can only imagine how the “carbon footprints” of those towns and cities rise every Independence Day.
But far more importantly, while sitting on that dock and seeing the fireworks being shot into the air and toward me, I wondered what would happen if one of them was late in igniting and did not explode until it landed near my feet.
I guess my question is if fireworks are illegal in the state of New York, why isn’t the law enforced? I understand the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and the Lake George Marine Patrol would be overwhelmed and unable to stop the mischief. But as my father-in-law suggested, if a few amateur pyrotechnicians were arrested and made examples of by spending a night in jail and paying a stiff fine, others might think twice before engaging in such dangerous behavior.
Any thoughts? What do you think should be done? Or, should anything be done at all, for that matter? After all, it’s just harmless fun until someone loses a limb, right? End of rant …
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This is a terrific post, Terry. I was up in western Mass. last week and learned that the fireworks display in my hometown had been cancelled. The party line was that the weather forecast wasn’t good. Then I read that several other western Mass. towns had decided to cancel their events. Hmmm. I wondered what was going on. Your post might explain the trend. Nice job, as usual.
Comment by Terrence McCarthy — July 7, 2008 #
Fear of litigation? I’m really aiming my fire (so to speak) at the amateurs.
But as we all recall, even professional pyrotechnicians can make mistakes, as they did in Torrington in 1990.
Comment by Terry — July 7, 2008 #
Reason 4,362 why I love the South. Ridding the world of pyrotechnics wouldn’t even occur to anyone down here.
On a (barely) related matter, I think we should start an (internet based) campaign to change the national anthem. The present song is too long, difficult to sing (and for you girly men up north), certainly promotes the use of pyrotechnics.
I vote for America the Beautiful. Short, easy to sing, lots of potential for creative interpretation, and has the added benefit of having been written by an early “feminist” (good for getting Democrats on board).
Comment by jake — July 7, 2008 #
Fireworks are illegal in NY? Really? I know it is illegal to sell/buy them, but I wasn’t aware that it was illegal for amateurs to set them off. I watched a wonderful display put on by the city of Rochester, then drove home whilst many people were setting off fireworks in their backyards, some of them on my own street. I think it’s a matter of enforcement. There simply aren’t enough officers to handle it all, and complaints are generally met with apathy. I don’t agree that making an example out of a few people would stop the masses from engaging in what John Adams wanted us to:
Comment by Amy — July 7, 2008 #
I love the smell of gunpowder in the evening…
The Toledo Blade defends the right to bear fireworks…
My real opinion, which ought not be posted on a nice blog like this one, can be found here.
Comment by Doug Richardson — July 7, 2008 #
Great post. I recently read an article in the LA Times regarding this same issue. It seems that Disney, in responce to complaints about the effects on air quality that their firworks shows were creating, went on a hunt for environmentaly friendly fireworks. Green fireworks are available; just more expensive and more difficult to get your hands on. End result…. to be continued, I guess.
http://www.welcome2green.com/green-news/fireworks-friend-or-foe
Comment by jacque — July 7, 2008 #
Amy,
New York is one of five states that bans the use of all consumer fireworks:
http://www.dos.state.ny.us/pres/pr2007/7207.html
On one level this makes sense because what is the point of prohibiting the sale but permitting the use?
Comment by Terry — July 8, 2008 #
Why ban the sale of alcohol but permit it’s “use?”
Comment by Doug Richardson — July 8, 2008 #
mmmmm….still more dangerous to drive your car to the corner store for milk.
Comment by Karen — July 8, 2008 #
Doug,
Who does that? Ban the sale of booze but not its use? I think consumption by minors is still illegal, is it not?
Karen,
True enough, but you could probably make the same case about illegal drugs. We’re talking about having fun with explosives, not buying milk or even keeping a gun for self-defense. I will take a brave stand here and come out for buying milk, especially in NYS, where there are so many dairy farmers. As for the 2nd Amendment, regular readers of this blog know my position on that one.
Comment by Terry — July 8, 2008 #
Terry:
There are a number of “dry” counties in several states. The folks who live in Lychburg, TN are free to drink all of the Jack Daniels they want but must go to another county to buy it.
Comment by Doug Richardson — July 8, 2008 #