*This was originally an Argumentative essay I wrote for my English Composition class with David White from CCV*
Introduction:
I was driving down a rural road in New Hampshire just a few days ago. The scenery was stunning as usual and I was taking in the sights. I came around a bend in the road and the first thing I saw was a large mylar balloon stuck in a tree. Balloons are not something I had thought about for a long time, but this encounter reminded me of the environmental impact of balloons and a cause I used to be incredibly compassionate about.
Many times, we associate balloons with celebrations, a child’s first birthday or even to draw attention to a sale at our favorite store. When I hear the word balloons, I think of “Balloonfest 86”.
“Balloonfest 86” was an event held on September 27th, 1986, as a fundraiser for United Way. The goal was to set a world record for the simultaneous release of helium-filled balloons. Nearly 1.5 million balloons were inflated and released in front of over 100,000 people. This event was meant to be a fun event that would bring publicity to both United Ways and Cleveland. The event, however, quickly turned into a disaster. This event prompted a complete shutdown of the runaway at Burke Lakefront Airport and even interfered with the Coast Guard and their search for two missing fishermen. “It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack,” explained one person involved in the search. “You’re looking for more or less a head or an orange life jacket, and here you have a couple hundred thousand orange balloons. It is just hard to decipher which is which.” The Coast Guard was forced to suspend the search and the bodies of the two men later washed up on shore. The wife of one of the fishermen ended up suing United Way of Cleveland and organizers for $3.2 million and later settled out of court.
Balloons ended up covering the surface of the nearby lake, clogged waterways, littered the city, and even caused traffic accidents. An owner of a prized horse in Medina County sued and settled with United Way for an undisclosed amount after his horse was spooked and injured. Within weeks, balloons had made their way as far as Ontario and littered beaches there.
Balloonfest did achieve the title of Biggest Simultaneous Balloon Launch and appeared in the 1988 print edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, but the title was later suspended over safety concerns.
“Balloonfest” is considered one of the biggest environmental disasters, often cited next to major oil spills, and resulted in organizers and the city of Cleveland being slapped with millions in damages and fines. Many remember this disaster vividly as it received a lot of media coverage as well as backlash. It has been the subject of a few documentaries and is used as an example of the negative impact of balloons on the environment. Many have forgotten about this event and many of the younger generation who were not around have not even heard of it. Due to this, releasing balloons has become a popular way to honor people who have passed away or to celebrate a major event.
The release of balloons and the mass assembly of balloons should be regulated and limited. I think “Balloonfest 86” is a notable example of the environmental damage and the harm to both animals and humans. Many municipalities agree with limiting and regulating balloons and the release of them with many also implementing new regulations regarding balloons to prevent further disasters.
Supporting Arguments
Most of the population understands the dangers of littering, and many understand how releasing balloons would be considered littering. Balloons can be so much more destructive than people think though. Balloons Blow, an educational nonprofit conducted a backyard biodegradable study to break down the marketing myth that balloons are biodegradable. This study continued for more than 7 years, and the balloon was still recognizable and barely degraded.
The Balloonfest disaster is a great example of just how far balloons can travel and when they travel to oceanfront areas, they pose a risk to wildlife such as birds, turtles, and even fish. Sea turtles and other marine life often mistake shredded balloons for jelly fish which results in death from starvation when the balloon becomes entangled in their intestines. Mylar balloons which are made from a foil material are incredibly dangerous to powerlines and have been known to cause power outages, fires, and extensive damage when they become entangled in power lines. They also take much longer to break down than traditional latex.
The release of balloons has started to become illegal in several cities, states, and countries including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Plymouth UK, New South Wales Australia, and more.
Counterarguments
One major counterargument people have is how dangerous releasing one or two balloons can be. Many people think that you just release a balloon, it goes up into the atmosphere, pops and it comes back down to earth. Marketing also plays a huge role in making people think it is okay to release balloons. “100% biodegradable” and “made with 100% latex” are two popular claims by balloon manufacturers. An industry-funded study by the National Association of Balloon Artists in 1989 made claims that after six weeks, balloons have the same degradation rate as an oak leaf and there is no way balloons pose a risk to wildlife. This study has since been called highly problematic and debunked by several modern studies but is still supported by balloon manufacturers.
Another counterargument is one of emotion. The reason many choose to release balloons is to honor someone who has passed away and because “the balloon can reach heaven.” Logical thinking is hard when we are flooded with emotions, especially ones that are fresh like when dealing with the death of a loved one. I have spoken to several people over the years who stated their thoughts were elsewhere and the dangers did not cross their minds.
Many in support argue that there are other examples of mass littering to worry about such as people throwing their trash on the ground, throwing cigarettes out car windows, etc. that are more dire to focus on.
Conclusion:
It is becoming harder and harder to find people who are in support of releasing balloons. I think public education, social media, and organizations such as Balloons Blow are the reasons for this. I have seen mass balloon releases canceled and people opting for more environmentally friendly alternatives such as a memorial garden, ribbon dancing, wind chimes, garden spinners, seed bombs, blowing bubbles and so much more. More businesses are also starting to move away from using balloons by replacing them with reusable eye-catching signage and dancing inflatables.
I spent some time reading forums and out of hundreds of posts, there was always one or two people who expressed they will continue to do it and do not care about the impact. This is motivated simply by emotions. Many are parents who have experienced loss and the act of releasing a balloon for their child is comforting to them.
I think it is incredibly important to stop the mass release of balloons and Balloonfest 1986 is a perfect example of what can happen. Many of the state and city bans focus on mass release versus single balloon release. Education is important when it comes to spreading awareness and with the popularity of social media, awareness has become more widespread, and many are now aware of not only the dangers but safe alternatives.
I think you will always have a small group of people who are fueled by emotions who you will not sway, but the focus on mass balloon releases and preventing events like Balloonfest 1986 is important. I think the release of the 2017 release of the documentary titled “Balloonfest” on major streaming services has also introduced this forgotten event to a whole new generation.
Work Cited:
Sardesai, Vinod. “Balloonfest: Encyclopedia of Cleveland History: Case Western Reserve. University.” Edited by Christopher Roy, Encyclopedia of Cleveland History | Case Western Reserve University, case.edu/ech/articles/b/balloonfest.
“Don’t Let Them Go.” Balloons Blow, BALLOONS BLOW, INC., balloonsblow.org/.
BURCHETTE, D.K. “Balloon HQ Presents Balloon Releases and the Environment.” Balloon HQ, National Association of Balloon Artists, 29 July 1989, balloonhq.com/faq/deco_releases/release_study/.
Irwin, Corey. “How Cleveland’s Balloonfest ’86 Became a Public Disaster.” 100.5 The River, 27 Sept. 2020, rivergrandrapids.com/cleveland-balloonfest-86/.