Balloon release

Balloon releases can be done as a prayer ceremony, to create a photo opportunity, to raise awareness of a cause or campaign, or as a competitive long-distance race.

Unlike sky lanterns, which float down after a short time, helium or hydrogen balloons quickly rise to heights in which they can no longer be seen.

A balloon launched from a school in Derby, England in December 2012 was found in Sydney, Australia in March 2013 having travelled 10,545 miles (16,971 km).

[12] It contributed to the deaths of two sailors on Lake Erie (the wife of one victim sued the organizers, and settled out-of-court),[13] resulted in injuries to horses, and caused traffic accidents.

[citation needed] A number of organisations (for example, in the United Kingdom, these include the Marine Conservation Society,[17] the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,[17] the Tidy Britain Group,[17] the National Farmers' Union[17] and the RSPB[18]) oppose balloon releases, because of the visual impact of the fallen, deflated balloons, and the risk of harm to wildlife and domestic animals which they pose.

[19][20] In May 2018 a peer-reviewed study by Delia M. Webb was published that revealed 2,223 pieces of balloon litter were found on 39 beaches across Cornwall between July and December 2016.

[citation needed] On 9 February 2018 rush-hour trains near Billericay, Essex were disrupted for more than two hours because 50 yellow and black balloons were tangled on overhead lines.

[citation needed] The documentary Rubber Jellyfish (2018) talks about and criticizes the actions of balloon releasing and how it contributes to pollution and animal death.