Ahead of New Year, a night in Georgia that sees the skies filling with midnight explosions – some of which are commercial displays, others being fired from balconies – an ongoing international campaign is calling for people to abandon the noisy tradition for the sake of their pets and the environment.
Fireworks create highly toxic gases and pollutants that poison the air, the water and the soil, making them toxic to birds, wildlife, pets, livestock — and people.
The colors of fireworks are the result of chemistry and physics made visible. Specifically, fireworks’ colors depend upon solid metal salts and chemical explosives that create colors when heated to the correct temperatures.
Additionally, to produce the oxygen needed for an explosion, many fireworks contain oxidizers known as perchlorates. These can dissolve in water, contaminating rivers, lakes and drinking water.
Do not use fireworks, take care of the environment!
