Short-term bang of fireworks has long-term impact on wildlife

Date:
January 30, 2023
Source:
Curtin University
Summary:
Popular fireworks should be replaced with cleaner drone and laser
light shows to avoid the 'highly damaging' impact on wildlife,
domestic pets and the broader environment, new research has found.


Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email
FULL STORY ========================================================================== Popular fireworks should be replaced with cleaner drone and laser light
shows to avoid the "highly damaging" impact on wildlife, domestic pets
and the broader environment, new Curtin-led research has found.


==========================================================================
The new research, published in Pacific Conservation Biology, examined
the environmental toll of firework displays by reviewing the ecological
effects of Diwali festivities in India, Fourth of July celebrations
across the United States of America, and other events in New Zealand
and parts of Europe.

Examples included fireworks in Spanish festivals impacting the breeding
success of House Sparrows, July firework displays being implicated in
the decline of Brandt's Cormorant colonies in California, and South
American sea lions changing their behaviour during breeding season as
a result of New Year's fireworks in Chile.

Lead author Associate Professor Bill Bateman, from Curtin's School of
Molecular and Life Sciences, said fireworks remained globally popular
despite the overwhelming evidence that they negatively impacted wildlife, domestic animals and the environment.

"Fireworks create short-term noise and light disturbances that cause
distress in domestic animals that may be managed before or after a
firework event, but the impacts to wildlife can be on a much larger
scale," Associate Professor Bateman said.

"The annual timing of some large-scale firework events coincides with
the migratory or reproductive movements of wildlife, and may therefore
have adverse long-term population effects on them. Fireworks also
produce significant pulses of highly pollutant materials that also
contribute significantly to the chemical pollution of soil, water,
and air, which has implications for human as well as animal health."
Associate Professor Bateman said firework bans at sensitive periods for wildlife migration or mating periods could limit the impact, as well as
drone or other light-based shows.

"Other than horses, for which there is some evidence that they can be
gradually familiarised with flashes of light, there is very little that
can be done to address the disturbing impact of noise from fireworks on
animals and wildlife," Associate Professor Bateman said.

"The future of firework displays may be in the use of safer and greener alternatives such as drones, eco-friendly fireworks or visible-wavelength lasers for light shows.

"There is growing evidence that these community events can be managed in
a sustainable way and it's clear that out-dated firework displays need
to be replaced by cleaner options that are not harmful to wildlife and
the environment."
* RELATED_TOPICS
o Matter_&_Energy
# Optics # Graphene # Chemistry
o Earth_&_Climate
# Ecology # Environmental_Issues # Sustainability
o Science_&_Society
# Environmental_Policies # Land_Management # Legal_Issues
* RELATED_TERMS
o Fireworks o PCB o Phosphorus o Xenon o Pesticide_poisoning
o Information_and_communication_technologies o Dioxin o
Special_relativity

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Curtin_University. Original written
by Yasmine Phillips.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Philip W. Bateman, Lauren N. Gilson, Penelope Bradshaw. Not just
a flash
in the pan: short and long term impacts of fireworks on the
environment.

Pacific Conservation Biology, 2023; DOI: 10.1071/PC22040 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230130213944.htm

--- up 48 weeks, 10 hours, 50 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)