by Meredith Bowen

Unpopular opinion- I hate fireworks. There, I said it. I’ve never liked them, when I was little I could never get over the giant booms and the overall thought that the sky must be falling.  Everyone around me would say, “but look at the pretty colors!” … to which I wish I would have responded, “Oh wow, gee, thanks for reminding me, totally didn’t notice how pretty it was while fearing for my life.” 

So maybe I am a buzzkill but I think many of you following us here at GreenATLiens agree that this year’s Independence Day amidst the headlines of police brutality, climate injustice, global pandemic, and children in cages is cause for pause, or maybe a full stop. This year as we reflect on all that it means to be “American” and celebrate our “Independence Day” (read: the independence of slave-holding, misogynistic white men), I say we also take some time to understand that the “celebrating America by blowing things up” idea has pretty devastating impacts to our environment and biodiversity surrounding us. 

The above graphic, created by Andy Brunning in The Chemistry of Firework Pollution for Compound Chem, clearly breaks down the chemicals used to create this explosive artwork, and how those chemicals and other materials can have negative effects on the world around us.  

According to Terrapass, there are ways to make your annual fireworks displays a little more eco-friendly, even making them completely carbon neutral through the purchase of carbon offsets.  The New Year’s Eve Firework display in Sydney, Australia has achieved total carbon neutrality by encouraging public transit, recycling leftover waste, and purchasing carbon offsets to balance out the pollution left in the air.  

But what about noise pollution? The devastating effects fireworks have on local wildlife? The danger for wildfires in those habitats from shoddy at home firework displays? The use of fireworks has been known to cause serious disturbance in the habitats of birds, small vertebrates, invertebrates and mammals. The possibility of resulting brush fires, even ones that are small and easily contained, still destroy the living spaces of many of these creatures and their established eco-systems.  The fear and panic caused by loud noises can cause birds and mammals to leave their nests and become disoriented and unable to return, leaving their young unprotected (source).

We can see evidence of this in our own domesticated animals. Fireworks have a very high decibel level in the boom, as much as 190 decibels, more than a gunshot or even some jet engines. We know that many animals, including dogs and cats  have a much more sensitive sense of hearing than humans, meaning they are at much greater risk for hearing loss or tinnitus from firework sounds (source).  And additionally, many animal welfare professionals will tell you that July 5th is one of their busiest days of the year when it comes to stray animals.   If you follow any of our local animal welfare organizations here in Atlanta, you will have seen their posts recommending that you keep your dogs and cats inside. Firework noise, summer storms, and other factors all contribute to a higher level of stray animal intake throughout the summer, which reaches a maximum around this time. Here you can find a list of helpful tips to keep your pets safe and prevent them from getting lost around this time.  Because of the higher amounts of animals needing care in shelters at this time of year, many shelters are operating at or over capacity and are offering low-cost adoption events or promoting fostering.  

So, all I am saying is, maybe this year you mix up your usual Fourth of July celebrations.  Foster a dog or cat,  go for a nice walk to observe your local biodiversity, or watch Hamilton!  And if you really need a little flair, go outside with some sparklers, just make sure you properly dispose of all the pieces! 

Meredith is GreenATLiens’ Foodie ATLien writing and reporting on all things sustainable food systems in Atlanta. She is an actor and a low-waster transplant originally from Cincinnati, OH. She will likely talk your ear off about locally grown food, carbon emissions, or animal welfare. But when she is not, she can be found hiking with her dog, kayaking, or riding her horse. Her latest obsession is the connection between growing your own food and the rich fertilizer that is manure. In short, she’s trying to grow tomatoes out of horse poop. She also does stand up comedy.