Will the City Pull the Plug on Fireworks?
The debate surrounding the ban on fireworks in Beijing has reignited with the recent record-levels of pollution and people seem to be on board with the idea.
Most polls on a Weibo page on the topic have 60 percent of voters in favor of putting a lid on the loud lights and colorful sounds. With no visibility outside, there seems to be strong public support for imposing a (temporary) ban to prevent more nasty particulates from being launched into the air.
As fun as they are to watch, fireworks add a whole lot of toxic elements into the sky including aluminum, copper compounds, mercury, lead dioxide and more. A Wesleyan case study on firework pollution in Beijing found that during the Spring Festival “over 20 elements were measured to be over five times higher in the lantern days than in normal days, a dangerously toxic level detrimental to human health.”
A weibo user has shared similar findings with the following chart that shows the rise in sulfoxylate ion (light line) and PM 2.5 (dark line) in three areas of Beijing during last year's Chinese New Year’s Eve.
Calls for a ban (which did exist from 1993-2005) usually focus on injuries and safety rather than environmental concerns. Last year, "5,945 fire accidents were reported during first day of the Spring Festival" and reports of eye injuries are
For an opinion on why fireworks shouldn't be banned, Xinhua offers some head-scratching logic like this:
We should reconsider the supporting factors for the ban on such customs. Take pollution, for instance. There are many old customs in many countries that cause pollution or create waste such as the famous La Tomatina festival, which Spaniards celebrate by throwing tens of tons of tomatoes at each other. We cannot ban driving just because vehicles emit greenhouse gases. Similarly, we should not ban fireworks because they are part of our tradition.
Should the ban be brought back? Would Chinese New Year be the same without fireworks exploding all across the city? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Photos: weibo.com
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TX_Chick
Submitted by Guest on Thu, 01/31/2013 - 14:44 Permalink
Re: Will the City Pull the Plug on Fireworks?
I think since they've already set up all the fireworks stands, they probably won't ban them this year, but I would support a shorter time period for allowing them, like only for a few days. The amount of mess they create is just so wasteful, and I for one am tired of having to flee the country to get away from the constant booming of the fireworks.
Of course, for the first several years I was here, the fireworks were banned and I got used to celebrating without them. The one year I had to stay here for the entire holiday, I thought I was about to go crazy from all the noise.
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