As the Government seems to be completely ignoring the threat to our wildlife, farm animals, domestic pets, aircraft and coastguard services, I am asking for our community's help in securing a ban on the use of these non essential, air born, menaces.
Chinese (or ‘Sky’) lanterns consist of a paper-covered wire or bamboo frame and an open flame heat source, which lifts the lantern into the air where it can float for miles from the point of release. Once extinguished, of course, the lantern falls back to earth.
These lanterns pose a threat to animals, as they can cause injury, suffering, and death, through ingestion, entanglement, and entrapment.
Landowners have called for a ban on Chinese lanterns in the UK, following cases of livestock injured or killed from eating lantern parts accidentally chopped into animal feed during harvest, or getting caught in wire frames that have landed in fields. Sharp parts they can tear and puncture an animal’s throat or stomach causing internal bleeding or death.
Animals can become entangled in fallen lantern frames and suffer from injury and stress struggling to get free, or starve to death. Marine life is endangered by lanterns falling into the sea.
Sky lanterns can cause fires, which destroy habitats and set animal housing, feed and bedding alight. They are already been banned in some countries and fire services have issued warnings to people over the fire risk following incidents such as the Smethwick recycling plant fire. (2013)
Don’t be fooled into thinking that ‘biodegradable’ lanterns are safe! Bamboo can take decades to degrade and there is still a fire risk.
Please use alternatives alternatives to chinese lanterns, such as stationary candles, night lights, static lanterns or outdoor lights. Plant a tree in memory of a loved one.
Please join me in calling upon the British Government to take swift action and create a bill to Prohibit the use of sky lanterns also known as Chinese lanterns in the UK.
We call on the British Government to take swift action and create a bill to Prohibit the use of sky lanterns also known as Chinese lanterns in the UK.
Animals can become entangled in fallen lantern frames and suffer from injury and stress struggling to get free, or starve to death. Marine life is endangered by lanterns falling into the sea. Sky lanterns can cause fires, which destroy habitats and set animal housing, feed and bedding alight. They are already been banned in some countries and fire services have issued warnings to people over the fire risk following incidents such as the Smethwick recycling plant fire. (2013)
Please ban the use of Chinese Lanterns in the UK now, before many more lives are devastated.
