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Firework noise limit should be drastically cut to protect wild animals, UK government told (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 2 days ago by to c/nature@feddit.uk
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Campaigners are calling on the UK government to protect the welfare of wild animals by cutting the maximum noise level of fireworks sold to the public from 120 to 90 decibels.

The Center for Wild Animal Welfare (CWAW) has said lowering the limit to 90dB – which is about one-eighth of the loudness of 120dB – would help to protect millions of wild animals from acute stress by reducing the area over which a firework disturbs surrounding wildlife.

This would help prevent incidents of harm, such as mass temporary displacement and fatal collisions among birds, that can occur during fireworks displays, it says.

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[–] 10 points 2 days ago (4 children)

I've enjoyed firework shows since I was a little runt and I'm the first in line to ask for a blanket ban on them.

It's a proven wildfires cause, horrible for wild life in general, terrible for pets and people with anxiety and related issues and it leaves a mess behind that nobody wants to pick up afterwards.

And firework making is a very dangerous occupation.

This is one tradition I am more than happy and willing to let go.

Aren't night time laser shows and drone swarm shows a thing already?

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  • [–] 0 points 2 days ago (2 children)

    @qyron As a combat vet with PTSD, I would like to ask you, politely, not to use my particular condition to remove the rights of others. We knew this would be a possibility when we signed the contract. We have ways to cope with our own issues without abridging others' rights to happiness.Fireworks manufacturers know the risks, as do those who work for them. They make good money (at least here in the States) for the risk they take on in order to manufacture them.Regarding the wildfires issue and the cleanup, we agree; People should be held responsible for their INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS.Please leave the "people with anxiety and related issues" out of your argument. You're making incorrect assumptions about us in order to add weight to your argument, and your assumptions are, at least in the case of every veteran I know, patently incorrect. Do I wish people were a bit more considerate with fireworks going off near our homes? Sure I do, but most civilians who never served in the military rarely think about anyone other than themselves and their wants and needs. Humans are generally inconsiderate. We've learned to live with it.@GreyShuck

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  • [–] 5 points 2 days ago (1 child)

    I wasn't. It didn't even cross my mind. What I had in mind were people with chronic stress, age set dementia, autistic and other similar conditions which make difficult, if not impossible, for individuals to cope with that extreme stimulation.

    There is a special care institution where I live and year after year they plead with the city to do not organize firework shows by the city holiday, as it is very hard to manage their charges. Medicating them into a near coma for three days and three nights is not a solution.

    On another line, a very good friend of mine has epilepsy and fireworks can trigger it. I don't know if others are as affected but it is another practical example.

    But no money in the world pays the loss of someone dear; where I live, there used to exist three fireworks shops. None exists today. Because people died in them. My country (Portugal) had hundreds of fireworks shops in the eighties and nineties; the number has been steadily decreasing since then and the industries is essentially dying.

    Banning fireworks wouldn't infringe on anyone's liberties and rights. It's a shrinking industry and there are other ways to celebrate.

    But I appreciate your point of view. And thank you for showing that cordiality towards me.

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