Guy Fawkes (or Bonfire) Night is upon us. Many of us will be celebrating with fireworks displays and bonfires. But what are the effects on the environment of all these explosions?
The charity Environmental Protection UK states that ‘approximately 5-14% of UK dioxin emissions are produced around Bonfire Night’. Particulate levels also increase noticeably.
Fireworks emit carbon dioxide, sulphur compounds, particulates and metal oxides (amongst other things). However, their impact is low and tends to be localised.
Instead, bonfires are the major cause for this jump in air pollution levels.
Bonfires are especially polluting if unclean materials are burnt, such as treated woods and furniture with foam padding or textile coverings. If you’re going to have one, it’s best to use clean, dry and untreated wood or garden waste.
Still and misty weather or poor air quality (check here) can also exacerbate the problem of pollution on Bonfire Night.
Guy Fawkes Night is a great celebration, often bringing friends, family and communities together. If you’re going to be holding an event, it’s worth keeping in mind that there are a few relatively simple steps to making things a bit less harmful to the environment.
Image by Flickr user Flawka. Published under the Creative Commons License.
2 Comments
Is there a low impact firework, then?
Sort of. Researchers have developed nitrogen-rich pyrotechnic substances. They burn cleaner and with less smoke. They also require fewer colour-producing chemicals.
Up to now, they’ve been used for large-scale public displays (rock concerts, circuses, etc.). Cost and intensity of the explosions are two challenges that these fireworks face.
Another factor to be considered is labour conditions. As you can imagine, the manufactuer of fireworks is dangerous. Yet child labour has been used, in countries in Asia and South America.
An alternative is to choose UK manufactured fireworks, such as from this company: kimboltonfireworks.co.uk