Sky lantern danger to both man and beast
AS I watched the sunrise on a New Year from my new view in Top Mossley, I couldn’t help but think about the things we put into the sky, not least because most of the debris, in one form or another, we could well do without.
I can see the scars from the massive moorland blazes of 2018 which choked the landscape with thick smoke, the vapour trails of several jets, while closer in, and tangled up in the uppermost branches of a silver birch, the deflated remains of a sky lantern. Why oh why do we persist, and perhaps this is the year to get your resolutions out and make a difference? And although I am no kill-joy, I’m kicking off with the RSPCA’s ‘Sky Litter’ campaign; let’s get sky lanterns banned. Or at the very least, encourage people to keep hold of them, or tethered, and never let them go.
In simple terms, ‘Sky’ or ‘Chinese lanterns’, are a novelty item made from paper-covered wire or bamboo frames, which are sent aloft with an open flame heat source. Heat carries lanterns up into air where they can travel for miles from where they are released. Once the heat stops, lanterns fall to the ground or into the sea, endangering the lives of animals that encounter them; while some are still alight. With estimates of 200,000 lanterns being sold in the UK each year, popularity is ever increasing and with that increase comes the greater risk of harm to wildlife, livestock and other animals.
Animals can eat lantern parts through curiosity or because lantern litter is hidden in the vegetation they are grazing on. When lanterns fall into fields the frames can become chopped into silage and hay during harvest causing needle like splinters to enter animal feed, which can tear and puncture the animal’s throat, stomach and internal organs leading to internal bleeding and a slow and painful death. Many animals are at risk of becoming trapped, or entangled in lantern frames and parts that have fallen into their habitat. Once trapped, animals become panicked and sustain injuries trying to free themselves. Entanglement and entrapment can lead to stress, injury and death while debris and splinters can cause wounds that may become infected leading to illness and fatality. Not wanting to state the obvious but, sky lanterns can cause fires to farm buildings that house animals and destroy habitats that are vital to wildlife. Farmers and landowners have reported stress, injury and suffering of livestock, horses and other animals due to lanterns, and recent media reports include a barn owl found dead after becoming trapped in lantern debris and a number of cattle fatalities, clearly demonstrating the harm that lanterns can cause.
Fire and rescue services around the UK have issued warnings against Chinese lantern use because of the fire hazard they pose. Lantern releases have already been banned in some countries including Australia, Germany and Malta, and indeed some local authorities in the UK have banned their release on ‘council land’. The latter is a good start but does not go far enough.
Some retailers claim that ‘biodegradable’ lanterns are a safe alternative to those with wire frames. However, bamboo can take decades to degrade and the lantern debris still poses the risks of ingestion, entrapment, splintering, embedment and fire that can harm and kill animals.
My friends at the RSPCA suggest, stationary candles, night-lights, static lanterns or outdoor lights to create a reflective atmosphere. You could write a word or name onto a candle and let it burn down to make a symbolic wish or memorial, plant a tree or donate to a good cause to honour the memory of a loved one.