300 million lbs of fireworks and 2.7 billion dollars gone in a cloud of smoke.

  • whome@discuss.tchncs.de
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    5 months ago

    The impact on nature goes beyond climate gases. At least here in Germany fireworks produce 1% of the yearly pm10 particulates. That’s not nothing.

    • ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      It’s not nothing, but 1% goes to show just how much is no5 made by the giant 1 day full of sky explosions, and how likely 70-80% is from transport and energy sector.

      Eliminating all fireworks from earth and banning them tomorrow would have a near 0 impact on anything, and be completely erased if a coal plant runs an extra day or two.

      • zaphod@sopuli.xyz
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        5 months ago

        Assuming there would be a single source responsible for the remaining 99% of yearly pm10 particulates, let’s say a giant coal power plant, then it would take 4 days of it running to have the same impact as fireworks.

        • ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Good catch. And yea, at a local level this Wilhelm not exacerbate things.

          The crisis begins with the emanation of farm fires in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, where farmers set fire to hundreds of square kilometres of paddy fields after harvesting them to clear them of residue, causing a smog jacket to form over northern India, particularly Delhi.

          Banning firecrackers to not make the problem worse makes sense, given how absolutely bad it will be due to the slash and burn farming practices. But the firecrackers alone (while not good for the atmosphere) aren’t like a global warming factor. But for your on-the-ground air quality doesn’t help at all.

        • ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          Giant ceremonial bonfires /= fireworks, for one. Tons of random shit can go into bonfires beyond just wood, the wood is of incredibly differing quality and chemical treatments, and bonfires by their nature a low to the ground and intended to last for at minimum an hour or they’re not worth making.

          This is not the same discussion as fireworks. It’s also still not long term effects, as the site warns of poor air quality in the days that follow the giant bonfires if there is no wind or weather, but it does dissipate either way, not that this event gives everyone cancer or something.

          The question was about fireworks. And yea, fireworks are an afterthought still. Compared to Guy Fawkes Night maybe even more of an afterthought. Guy Fawkes Night and 4th of July still hardly register on the global scale of CO2 and GHG outputs.

          • Sizzler@slrpnk.net
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            5 months ago

            I was pointing out that fireworks were being used in a way that lowers the local air pollution for residents, for days, not just the evening. You can say ‘barely registered’ but I’ve shown you a clear case of it very much registering in terms of effects on local populous.

              • Sizzler@slrpnk.net
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                5 months ago

                I saw a bonfire with a calculated pallet cost of $100k. That’s something. Fireworks are a big part of the bonfire celebration and put pollutants into the lower atmosphere. The example I gave is more firecrackers being used at street-level.