Lanterns, like balloons, float and then eventually come down. After Valentine’s Day, a man collected over 30 love themed balloons in only a few hours off the coast of Laguna Beach. I believe there is already a lot of awareness to the problem with balloon releases and am shocked that they still allowed anywhere. They are awful for the environment and both marine and terrestrial wildlife. So, why would lanterns be different.
There is an organization called Night Lights that schedules sky lantern festivals. According to their website the events, you’ll see people cry, pose, pop the question, and celebrate under the lantern-lit skies. You’ll hear joyous laughter and squeals of glee as lanterns are carried together in epic waves of love and light.”
It sounds inspirational and the videos and photos are breathtaking, but what impact do these events have on the environment? I contacted their support to find out the environmental impact of their events. Interested in finding out more?
“We understand your concerns and appreciate that you care as much as we do. Every event is equipped with a full cleaning crew and lantern chasers who literally chase lanterns from the moment they are lit, following their trajectory, for a quick pick up. This efficient crew continues a widespread search for lanterns before we leave our event location, sweeping the area during the lantern launch and directly after.
Not only do we pick up the lanterns, but we pick up all the trash we can find along the way. This meticulous process can take up to a full 48 hours and three separate trips, during which the area is surveyed with extensive care.
The lanterns that we use are also biodegradable and made from renewable resources like rice paper, bamboo, and natural fiber. They don’t pose any threats to the environment or any animals who may come across one.”
Sounds impressive. What about the fuel cell? They did not answer my question, but their website states it will “fully burn out before returning to the earth’s surface.”
I also asked if people could bring in their own lanterns and didn’t get an answer to that either. According to the website they do not allow outside lanterns, but I would imagine with large groups of people coming into these events with wagons, chairs, blankets and umbrellas that finding restricted lanterns may be rather difficult.
What do you think of Night Lights Events?