Talking Points to Combat Negative Legislation
I would like to express strong opposition to proposed legislation which would ban the release of one or more balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases. Research shows that balloons do not constitute serious litter or ecological problems. To date, only five states have enacted balloon release bans and out of those five only two specified 10 or more balloons, two specified 25 or more and one specified 50 or more. Since 1991 when The Balloon Council came into existence and was able to communicate with policy makers not a single state has enacted balloon release legislation.
The Balloon Council has developed standards for balloon releases in order to minimize their impact on the environment. These guidelines recommend the use of self-tied, biodegradable balloons without attachments, including strings, plastic plugs or other weighted objects.
The balloons used for launches are made of latex, not plastic. Latex is a 100 percent natural material made from a milky substance of the rubber tree in a process similar to making maple syrup. Since latex is fully biodegradable, an inflated latex balloon decomposes at about the same rate as an oak leaf under similar conditions.
Research has shown that when a balloon is released, most rise about five miles into the atmosphere until the cold air causes it to burst into countless small pieces. These tiny float back to earth over a wide area and degrade along with foliage and other natural products.
The Center for Marine Conservation’s nationwide beach cleanup indicates that the number of balloons being released into the environment is declining based on the amount of balloon fragments being collected. In 1997 volunteers collected more than 125,501 Styrofoam cups and 1,326,695 cigarette butts, but just 30,324 balloon
pieces from more than 7,000 miles of shoreline. Of the over 5 million pieces of debris collected, balloons accounted for only one-half of one percent.
When performed under the recommended conditions, balloon releases do not harm the environment or marine life. The balloon industry and other researchers have spent considerable time investigating claims that balloons caused the death of a sea creature. Even though no claim has held up, many small businesses throughout the country are being hurt financially by such erroneous claims.