Should Personal Fireworks Be Banned?

It causes over 10,000 serious injuries a year, including loss of life, limbs, and vision.  And permanently degrades some individual's  hearing.

It results in over 15,000 fires per annum, destroying homes, businesses, and vehicles and  causing wildfires that affect thousands of acres.

It seriously pollutes the air with particles and toxic chemicals, undermining the health of those with asthma and heart disease. 

It scares dogs and cats, causing some to cower in the corner or run away.

It can seriously disturb some of our veterans, particularly those with PTSD, bringing on terrifying memories and fear.

It ruins the sleep of many and breeds a disrespect for the law.

You would think we would finally act regarding something that was so profoundly negative in so many ways.  But we don't.  We tolerate personal fireworks.  

And perhaps it is time to get serious about stopping them.

Today, I checked the small particulate levels in our air....the kinds of particles that move deeply into our lungs (PM2.5).   The pollutant numbers surged in Seattle and Marysville and went crazy (nearly 160) in Tacoma.  And many of the fireworks have toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

According to Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, the air was dangerously unhealthy all over the south Sound last night and during the morning hours.

The news was full of the normal results of careless fireworks, including several homes seriously damaged and unlivable.  Among the fires was one in Magnolia and a two-alarm fire in Renton.

Renton Fire:  Picture credit Mike Perry

Magnolia Fire:  KING TV

Every year several young people lose fingers and other serious injuries from fireworks in our area.

And a number of stories talk about fireworks be unsettling to combat veterans.

The effects of fireworks on many pets is profound, producing terror and hiding in closets and under beds.   The fear was obvious in my small dog last night.

Sleep?   Forget it.  My neighborhood in North Seattle sounded like a war zone, with big explosions going off until 2 AM on Tuesday morning.  The vibrations were so profound on the fourth of July that my neighbors car alarm went off.

Fireworks put a huge amount of debris into our waterways and in our parks, with obviously negative impacts on wildlife.

Picture credit:  West Seattle Blog

So why do we continue the carnage, damage, and scared pets?   Particularly when folks can enjoy a wide collection of professional community displays?

Personal fireworks are illegal in much of the State, including Seattle, so why do the police allow it?  None of the official excuses make sense (e.g., the difficulty in catching people in the act).  Go to any of the major parks, especially ones in the water. (e.g., Mathews Beach Park), on the evening of July 4th.  Catching fireworks felons would be like catching fish in an aquarium.   But before the police did that, an announcement of a no-tolerance policy should be made at least a month before, to discourage folks from stocking up.

The biggest source of fireworks is probably the native american "boom cities", such as the ones in Marysville and Auburn.   Clearly, the State needs to work with the tribes to end the sales of fireworks there.  It is demeaning to the environmental traditions of native americans to degrade our environment with toxic smoke and noise.

It is time that society gets serious about banning personal fireworks.

from Cliff Mass Weather and Climate Blog http://ift.tt/2sIPl3V