Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- why_fireworks_should_be_abolished [2025/10/27 18:48] – administrator
+++ why_fireworks_should_be_abolished [2025/10/30 21:09] (current) – administrator
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Why Fireworks Should Be Abolished ======
-So called silent firework displays, which are in fact not silent at all, unless they are replaced by laser shows, are increasingly praised as the ultimate solution when it comes to addressing animal welfare concerns. At the first glance silent fireworks seem to be a logical solution, as reduced noise pollution is addressing one of the best known problems in this context. However, as it is commonly the case, there is the bigger picture to consider, and that is where the controversy starts, at least for people who feel very strongly that fireworks are part of their cherished traditions and well deserved rights, and of course for people, who have some sort of financial interest in the business of producing, selling or using fireworks.
+{{ :great_egret_02.jpeg?200|}}So called silent firework displays, which are in fact not silent at all, unless they are replaced by laser shows, are increasingly praised as the ultimate solution when it comes to addressing animal welfare concerns. At the first glance silent fireworks seem to be a logical solution, as reduced noise pollution is addressing one of the best known problems in this context. However, as it is commonly the case, there is the bigger picture to consider, and that is where the controversy starts, at least for people who feel very strongly that fireworks are part of their cherished traditions and well deserved rights, and of course for people, who have some sort of financial interest in the business of producing, selling or using fireworks.
 Most people would agree that we should not do any intentional harm to other sentient beings, be it directly or indirectly. Fireworks have a proven negative impact onto our shared environment, and are therefore potentially harming other human and non-human animals, who are unlikely to have given consent to being harmed, neither in the short nor in the long term. This simply means that by using any type of firework, intentional harm is being done to others, which is ethically not justifiable. Therefore we could actually stop at this point, but for the sake of the argument, let us look a bit more in detail into the threats and problems caused by fireworks.
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 The last, and rather rarely mentioned type of pollution is light pollution, which is often played down as insignificant. Some conservation organisations are claiming that fireworks in general do not have a proven impact on wildlife and in particular not on birds. It has been suggested by one of the biggest charities here in the UK that fireworks have a similar impact than thunderstorms, which seems to be at the very least a slightly naive viewpoint, considering the fact that wildlife in general and birds in particular have a well developed perception of weather developments, and have adapted well by taking precautionary measures, which is not possible at all with fireworks going off randomly and without any warning. Light pollution is a known problem not just for migrating, but also for residential birds. Given that most songbirds migrate at night, it is no surprise that light pollution is a significant contributor harming these birds.
-Fireworks disrupt not only the circadian rhythm of birds, but excessive artificial light at night can also disorient birds during migration or startle roosting birds. One of the many extraordinary traits birds possess is their sleep pattern. Birds do not sleep like mammals do, but they do share with mammals the cycles of Non-rapid Eye Movement sleep and Rapid Eye Movement sleep. Birds also sleep with one-half of their brain awake, similar to cetaceans. This is called unihemispheric slow-wave sleep and keeps birds alert to potential predators while still catching some rest. A sleeping bird can adjust how much of its brain is asleep by how wide it opens or closes its eyes. This clearly means that an unannounced silent light flash from a laser show or a so called ‘silent’ firework will be able to startle a bird to a degree that the bird wakes up and gets deprived of his or her sleep. This results in wasted hard earned energy and birds flying off in to the night or into an obstacle. This also means that birds are in particular at risk during breeding season, as startled parent birds may not be able to return back to their nest in time to take proper care of their brood. Egg incubation might get interrupted and hatchlings might not survive without parental warmth. Evacuated nest sites are also more prone to predation, as the nest location might be given away by panicking nestlings or startled parent birds. There is also a considerable risk that parent birds and their still independent offspring may get separated.
+Fireworks disrupt not only the circadian rhythm of birds, but excessive artificial light at night can also disorient birds during migration or startle roosting birds. One of the many extraordinary traits birds possess is their sleep pattern. Birds do not sleep like mammals do, but they do share with mammals the cycles of Non-rapid Eye Movement sleep and Rapid Eye Movement sleep. Birds also sleep with one-half of their brain awake, similar to cetaceans. This is called unihemispheric slow-wave sleep and keeps birds alert to potential predators while still catching some rest. A sleeping bird can adjust how much of its brain is asleep by how wide it opens or closes its eyes. This clearly means that an unannounced silent light flash from a laser show or a so called ‘silent’ firework will be able to startle a bird to a degree that the bird wakes up and gets deprived of his or her sleep. This results in wasted hard earned energy and birds flying off in to the night or into an obstacle. This also means that birds are in particular at risk during breeding season, as startled parent birds may not be able to return back to their nest in time to take proper care of their brood. Egg incubation might get interrupted and hatchlings might not survive without parental warmth. Evacuated nest sites are also more prone to predation, as the nest location might be given away by panicking nestlings or startled parent birds. There is also a considerable risk that parent birds and their still dependent offspring may get separated.
 Sometimes it helps to understand a problem when putting yourself into the shoes of the potential victim. Imagine someone throws unexpectedly a firecracker into your bedroom. I would guess that most people would not find this a desirable experience to have, in particular not when woken up by the noise. A ‘silent’ firecracker thrown into the same room may improve the experience, but most people would still be startled by a near silent explosion in their bedroom, and would also not be very keen on the stinking hazardous smoke, a blinding flash light in front of their eyes or a singed jumper.