By Tony Murray, Big Bend Coastal Conservancy
I read with interest the opinion article by J.P. Brooker, the Ocean Conservancy’s director of Florida conservation, on support for legislative efforts to ban intentional releases of balloons.
The article succinctly present numerous valid points on the adverse effects of balloons released into the environment including: 1) balloons being the top cause of death from marine-related debris for seabirds; 2) adverse issues created by entanglement and ingestion within the marine environment.
Although Florida already limits balloon releases of more than nine balloons by anyone within a 24-hour period, the new proposed legislation would prohibit the intentional release of any balloons and remove an exemption for biodegradable or photodegradable balloons. But an equally important aspect to helium balloon release is that this helium then escapes our atmosphere and continues off into outer space. Really.
So what? Who cares about helium and why should we? After all, that balloon was cheap and as it magically lifts up and out of our sight it gives us a moment to ponder life’s bigger issues.
Well, helium is important, and here’s why:
1) Helium is a non-renewable resource; when it goes up, it is gone and gone forever; it escapes Earth’s atmosphere and continues off into space. Helium is most commonly recovered from natural gas deposits, but there is no more helium being generated or made.
2) Helium is an incredibly critical component in space exploration, national defense, scientific research and high-tech manufacturing. The Bureau of Land Management operates and maintains the helium storage and reservoir and its website is full of interesting helium-related information, including information about the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013.
3) The price of helium has been going up, up and away. Look it up. This economic indicator speaks volumes.
Helium has many unique properties and as such there are no substitutes. Helium is a non-renewable resource that is found in only a few locations in the world and is being depleted. As found on the Bureau of Land Management site: The United States has an important economic and national security interest in ensuring a continual reliable supply of helium for its many important usages.
The support for legislative efforts to ban intentional balloon releases will also help to conserve helium resources.
Tony Murray is Big Bend Coastal Conservancy’s founder/director and environmental scientist with over 30 years of experience. Murray resides in the Big Bend of Florida. This companion article has been co-written with contributed review by J.P. Brooker of the Ocean Conservancy.
If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe at ncrabbe@fau.edu. Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here.
