Chinesee lanterns cause animal deaths

[SusanB-M1]

BBC RAdio 4 'Farming Today' this morning 05:45-06:00 included an item about the danger to the countryside caused by Chinese lanterns. One farmer found 57 of them one morning littering the farm and of course did not know if she had found them all, another had a cow die from ingesting some of the lantern wires and a third lost a foal which had become entangled. Other hazards were listed too, apart from the general fact of causing widespread litter, since once they are flying, it will depend on the wind where they land up. (I sent a comment supporting the farmers.)

[Andrew Wiggin]

Sounds similar to the environmental fallout from large scale releases of balloons.

A

[SusanB-M1]

Yes, I often used to wonder about the litter caused by balloons, but I never pursued the question. The impact would have been less though, I suppose, because wires were not involved, as far asI know.

[Rolfe]

I saw another item about the high number of unnecessary emergency lifeboat launches the things are causing on the west coast of Scotland, because they look extremely like maritime distress flares.

Rolfe.

[Beerina]

I saw another item about the high number of unnecessary emergency lifeboat launches the things are causing on the west coast of Scotland, because they look extremely like maritime distress flares.

Rolfe.

That's what they get for not checking the ship's tweets. :mad:

[Silly Green Monkey]

Isn't New Year not until Valentine's Day?

[Darat]

BBC RAdio 4 'Farming Today' this morning 05:45-06:00 included an item about the danger to the countryside caused by Chinese lanterns. One farmer found 57 of them one morning littering the farm and of course did not know if she had found them all, another had a cow die from ingesting some of the lantern wires and a third lost a foal which had become entangled. Other hazards were listed too, apart from the general fact of causing widespread litter, since once they are flying, it will depend on the wind where they land up. (I sent a comment supporting the farmers.)

I'd never thought about this - and we've been setting them off over Christmas since my mother first brought some back from Thailand about 15 years ago.

I think we shall stop!

[Ove]

Frankly i think that beer/soda cans littering the landscape is a far greater threat. Several Danish farmers have experienced animal deaths caused by cans.

[richardm]

This New Year I noticed a lot of them around for the first time. Wondered what they were at first; they did look impressive en masse. It wasn't a co-ordinated release, just a lot of them set off by different people around the area. To be honest they look absolutely nothing like distress flares to me, but I daresay they could be mistaken for one by someone who's never seen one, and once the report is made they're obliged to investigate.

Clearly what is needed is a biodegradable version, with a twist of bamboo or something to make the structure.

Distress flare muppetry (includes swearing):
ntcZhDnanjA

Oh god it's going in the school!

[Tiktaalik]

Yes, I often used to wonder about the litter caused by balloons, but I never pursued the question. The impact would have been less though, I suppose, because wires were not involved, as far asI know.

I hate balloons. I've spent a lot of time in backcountry areas on foot over the years and I bet 75% of the time I've come upon balloon remains. The helium-filled mettalic ones are the worst. I've also found the remains of small animals (birds, lizards) wrapped in the strings from time to time (I think I have pictures of a lizard somewhere) and found animal feces with what appeared to be balloon remains in it (upon not-too-close inspection). I used to have a web page up called "BURST" (balloon use reduction strategy team) but didn't feel like maintaining it...

[SusanB-M1]

I saw another item about the high number of unnecessary emergency lifeboat launches the things are causing on the west coast of Scotland, because they look extremely like maritime distress flares.
Oh dear! Sounds very selfish, but one can understand people not realising this. Education is the answer, I suppose.
I'd never thought about this - and we've been setting them off over Christmas since my mother first brought some back from Thailand about 15 years ago.

I think we shall stop!
I didn't even know what they were until a couple of weeks ago. The sooner a type is made which can be sent off safely, the better.I hate balloons. I've spent a lot of time in backcountry areas on foot over the years and I bet 75% of the time I've come upon balloon remains. The helium-filled mettalic ones are the worst. I've also found the remains of small animals (birds, lizards) wrapped in the strings from time to time (I think I have pictures of a lizard somewhere) and found animal feces with what appeared to be balloon remains in it (upon not-too-close inspection). I used to have a web page up called "BURST" (balloon use reduction strategy team) but didn't feel like maintaining it...
I wonder if there is a relevant web site around now?

[zooterkin]

I just spotted this in the Guardian today (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/23/chinese-lanterns-call-to-ban?INTCMP=SRCH). As well as the remains being dangerous to animals, the lanterns are a fire hazard (something which always seemed likely to me, but was dismissed when I brought it up in another thread I can't find right now).

Farmers say cows suffer stomach damage from eating the wire of fallen lanterns. Crops are also at risk; last summer in Oxfordshire, a blaze from a lantern destroyed 2.5 hectares of barley. Litter is also a problem, said the NFU: "The people releasing lanterns wouldn't dream of dumping rubbish, but that's what is happening."

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency says coastguards and lifeboats are sent out needlessly. In 2010 the agency recorded 1,500 flare incidents, of which 500 were believed to be false alarms caused by lanterns, while the CAA says they also pose danger to landing aircraft.
...

Nigel Deasy, station manager for the Dorset and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, which has seen a sharp increase in lantern-related fires in the past year, said: "Although they may look very pretty, we are dealing with dangerous materials – fire and hot oil – and they need to be treated with caution."


ETA: I found the other thread (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?postid=4981057#post4981057) I was thinking about. Slightly faulty memory, as usual. :) My worries were not so much dismissed as the thread died.

[commandlinegamer]

Could they not be manufactured completely from combustible materials, replacing say the wire with stiffened cardboard? At least might remove some of the risk of ingestion of metal by livestock.

I first became aware of the dangers from reading about them on the Glastonbury Festival discussion board. Michael Eavis, as a dairy farmer, has a massive cleanup after the event every year, but some unfortunate cattle have died in the past from metal tent pegs, so I imagine Chinese Lanterns would be a big no-no for the site.

[Checkmite]

I just spotted this in the Guardian today (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jan/23/chinese-lanterns-call-to-ban?INTCMP=SRCH). As well as the remains being dangerous to animals, the lanterns are a fire hazard (something which always seemed likely to me, but was dismissed when I brought it up in another thread I can't find right now).




ETA: I found the other thread (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?postid=4981057#post4981057) I was thinking about. Slightly faulty memory, as usual. :) My worries were not so much dismissed as the thread died.

Most of the methods I'm aware of by which hoaxers hope to 'create' UFO reports for whatever reason, are similarly hazardous.

[Beerina]

Take one of these (http://www.fireworks-usa.com/Spinners.htm) and slap on the wings of one of these (http://www.fireworks-usa.com/Winged_Items.htm) and suddenly, instead of a 3s furious flight, you've got a 20s flight.

Then cross your fingers as it lands on a neighbor's roof, with the fire still jetting out for a good 10s after it lands.

I realized two things:

1. Why the real ones only last 3s.
2. Why the real ones are designed to completely burn out as soon as the 3s is over.