One Show balloon release lets down the green cause
SINCE Blue Planet II highlighted the devastating effects of plastic on the world’s oceans, the BBC has been praised for leading the way in the fight against litter.
But environmentalists were less impressed when The One Show featured a piece on the importance of recycling only to follow it with a clip of hundreds of balloons being released into the air.
The six-minute recycling segment included details of an initiative which uses non-recyclable plastic to pave roads, and was followed by an interview in the studio with Take That about their new musical, The Band.
Viewers were left bemused when cohosts Matt Baker and Alex Jones then cut to a prerecorded video from the rooftop of the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, where the cast of the musical and members of the boy band were seen letting off hundreds of multi-coloured helium balloons as cannons blasted confetti into the air.
The balloon release came just months after the BBC aired Sir David Attenborough’s warning about plastic pollution in the final episode of Blue Planet II, leading to many companies pledging to cut down on plastic use.
Julie Andersen, executive director of Plastic Oceans Foundation, said: “Although a small part of the puzzle, balloons do indeed contribute to the massive problems we are facing… It was an unfortunate decision, given how much attention is now on the issue of plastic pollution.”
Take That apologised on Twitter, writing: “We had not thought this thru (sic) in terms of the environment and apologise profusely.”
A BBC spokesman BBC said: “The One Show team is very aware of the impact such activities can have on the environment… The event was organised, filmed and distributed to the media by the team behind the musical The Band.
“We would like to offer our assurances that The One Show takes the effects to the environment very seriously.”