RSPCA warn over 'deadly' sky lanterns

[yorkie]

Do you know anyone who is considering launching a sky lantern?

If so, you may want to show them this:

https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/skylanterns

Sky lanterns

Over 200,000 sky lanterns (also known as Chinese lanterns) are sold in the UK each year. However most people have no idea of the harmful and often deadly consequences the release of sky lanterns can have for animals.

Birds and wildlife can become entangled in the wire or bamboo frames leading to injury or death. Animals can accidentally eat fallen lantern parts which can cause internal bleeding, leading to a slow painful death.

Here are just a handful of reported incidents:

• A foal had to be put to sleep after his legs were so badly injured from bolting through a fence having been terrified by a lantern.
• Holly, a nine-month-old goat died after the frame of a lantern punctured her throat.
• A farmer in Chester told how a cow died when the wire from a sky lantern punctured her oesophagus after ingestion, saying “in effect she spent a long, painful 48 hours suffocating on her own feed.”
• A barn owl died having become entangled in a lantern frame.

We’re pleased that a number of local councils have already banned the use of sky lanterns on all council owned land and we’d like to see other councils follow suit.

 

[DaleCooper]

They are nothing but litter and people who launch them with no regard for where they end up should be liable to a fine.

 

[AlterEgo]

They are nothing but litter and people who launch them with no regard for where they end up should be liable to a fine.

Not only that, they're bloody dangerous. You're letting a fire - an actual fire - just drift off into the wind with no idea where it will land. What if it ends up on someone's house?

I hate Chinese lanterns.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Can these items be declared illegal and what law would cover the inherent type of danger they pose.

 

[DaleCooper]

Can these items be declared illegal and what law would cover the inherent type of danger they pose.

I don't know if it would be possible to outlaw the items themselves but their use could certainly be covered by anti-littering laws/byelaws. I get sick of seeing them dangling from the branches of trees and bushes, the same applies to helium balloons.

 

[Johnuk123]

They're an abomination and as far as I can see only bought by chavs.

 

[backontrack]

They're an abomination and as far as I can see only bought by chavs.

I doubt that highly.

 

[scott118]

What if it ends up on someone's house?

more so, if your house is made of hay..

 

[Johnuk123]

I doubt that highly.

I don't.

 

[Trog]

Was it one of them that started that big fire at a recycling plant in Birmingham a while back?

 

[DaleCooper]

more so, if your house is made of hay..

The Three Little Pigs had better watch out, if the Big Bad Wolf wasn't enough they've now got Chinese lanterns to worry about.

 

[AlterEgo]

Was it one of them that started that big fire at a recycling plant in Birmingham a while back?

Yes. What a bright thing to do.

 

[cjmillsnun]

more so, if your house is made of hay..

Not good on a thatched roof!

 

[headshot119]

I don't.

Would you like to come and call me a CHAV to my face? :roll:

 

[AlterEgo]

Would you like to come and call me a CHAV to my face? :roll:

Hahahaha "come and say that to my face" - that's the chavviest thing anyone can say.

 

[headshot119]

Hahahaha "come and say that to my face" - that's the chavviest thing anyone can say.

Damn the irony

I was young and foolish, it all went horribly wrong any my parents have never forgiven me for torching the garden tree!

 

[DaleCooper]

Would you like to come and call me a CHAV to my face? :roll:

That's a witty rejoinder, not at all the kind of thing a chav would say.

 

[dgl]

Yes they are dangerous and litter esp. as you have no way of knowing where it is going to land. Also they are a tremendous fire risk and anyone who decides to let one go is an idiot of the highest order.

 

[backontrack]

I don't.

'Chav' is basically a term describing people who are young, poor and idiots. I contend that the lanterns will also be bought by young, well-off idiots as well as middle-aged, well-off idiots.

 

[backontrack]

Would you like to come and call me a CHAV to my face? :roll:

Would you like to be trapped in some flaming plastic debris? :roll:

 

[headshot119]

Would you like to be trapped in some flaming plastic debris? :roll:

See my later post for details.

 

[backontrack]

See my later post for details.

ofc I understand - my apologies.

 

[deltic1989]

Can these items be declared illegal and what law would cover the inherent type of danger they pose.

I suppose that in some areas it could be argued that they cause a danger to aircraft. Which may be covered somewhere in the Aviation Security Act. I certainly wouldnt like to be flying an aircraft that came into contact with one.

A grey area is weather these things could be called a 'small unmanned aircraft'.
If thay could be described as such, a person in chrage could be in hot water for failing to "maintain direct, unaided visual contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the purpose of avoiding collisions." (Air Navigation Order 2016).
As there is no way to determine its flight path or speed, so maintaining visual contact unaided is going to be tricky.

 

[anti-pacer]

What is intended to me a bit of fun and a visual spectacle if you like, has been ill thought out by the manufacturer's in my opinion.

They are a safety hazard and whilst most flames do go out without issue, some don't. It's also a form of litter, but so is launching lots of balloons in the air.

To be fair I've not seen any for over a year now, but at one point it was a weekly scene in Wakefield. Maybe the "craze" has burnt out.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I suppose that in some areas it could be argued that they cause a danger to aircraft. Which may be covered somewhere in the Aviation Security Act. I certainly wouldn't like to be flying an aircraft that came into contact with one.

There is a ban on launching the stupid things within 10 miles of an airport, but:

a) I think this only applies to commercial airports and not to small airfields as well.

b) Nobody bothers to enforce it anyway.

 

[Zamracene749]

Yes they are dangerous and litter esp. as you have no way of knowing where it is going to land. Also they are a tremendous fire risk and anyone who decides to let one go is an idiot of the highest order.

Are we on about Chavs or lanterns here? lol A worthwhile message though, something i bet many folk wouldn't consider.