ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES-II

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES-II"

Clarissa Blake
5 years ago
Views:

1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES-II MODULE II SOCIAL ISSUES & THE ENVIRONMENT LECTURE 16 FIRE CRACKERS & EFFECTS

2 Fire Crackers Fireworks are great fun. We all enjoy guessing the colours of the rockets before they ignite in the sky, hearing the explosions echo off nearby buildings, or writing our names in light with hand sparklers. But there is an environmental price to pay. Firework smoke is rich in tiny metal particles. These metals make firework colours, in much the same way as Victorian scientists identified chemicals by burning them in a Bunsen flame; blue from copper, red from strontium or lithium, and bright green or white from barium compounds.

3 There is more smoke from potassium and aluminium compounds, which are used to propel fireworks into the air. Perchlorates are also used as firework propellants; these are a family of very reactive chlorine and oxygen compounds, which were also used by NASA to boost space shuttles off the launch pad. Fireworks can lead to substantial air pollution problems. There are well documented examples from cites around the world. In Spain, metal particle pollution from Girona s Sant Joan fireworks fiesta can linger in the city for days. Across India s cities, the annual Diwali fireworks cause pollution that is far worse than Beijing on a bad day.

4 Fireworks can have significant effects on air pollution in enclosed spaces, too. In Germany, tests have shown how goal and match celebrations with flares, smoke bombs and other pyrotechnics can fill football stadiums with high concentrations of airborne particles. Fireworks that fall to the ground contain residues of unburnt propellants and colourants, while particle pollution in the air eventually deposits on the ground or gets washed out by rain. Some of this finds its way into lakes and rivers, where percolate has been linked to thyroid problems, causing limits to be set for drinking water in some of the US states. This is a major concern for lakeside resorts and attractions that have frequent firework displays.

5 Researchers have collected airborne particles from Diwali. These were found to deplete lung far more than pollution from traffic sources, suggesting a greater toxicity. Across India, Diwali fireworks have been linked to a 30% to 40% increase in recorded breathing problems. Traditionally, Diwali was celebrated with the lighting of ghee burning lamps but this changed with the opening of India s first firework factory in An Indian court petition is demanding better public safety information and restrictions on the sale and use of fireworks but this came too late to limit the smog caused by this year s celebrations.

6 Some simple steps can be taken to reduce our exposure to firework pollution. For one thing, setting them off in enclosed spaces is a very bad idea, as are hand-held sparklers. Positioning crowds upwind of fireworks displays is another obvious way of reducing their negative health impacts. Yet fireworks are already the largest manufactured source of some types of metal particles in the atmosphere. And the proportion of pollution from fireworks will only increase, as huge investments are made to reduce other sources of urban pollution. Particle filters are present on nearly all modern diesel vehicles and factory emissions across the developed world are continually being tightened but firework pollution remains unchecked.

7 Perhaps the best way to tackle the pollution caused by fireworks is not to have them at all. The highprecision, controlled displays that we see at international landmarks on New Year s Eve demonstrate the great innovation of the fireworks industry. It s time for this innovative approach to be applied to reduce the environmental impact of fireworks, so that we can continue to enjoy the excitement of displays for years to come.

8 Though Diwali is a festival of lights symbolising triumph of good over evil, today like many other festivals, Diwali has become a festival of noise and pollution. Something common to the festival of lights all over the country is fire crackers. The rockets illuminating the skies with multicoloured bursts, the noisy sizzle of fiery charkis (ground wheels), ear-deafening 'bombs' and dazzling phooljhadis (sparklers) etc.

9 The real meaning of bursting crackers seems to have been lost to a great extent as grand fireworks have become a status symbol for the vulgar display of ill-gotten wealth for the rich and others are either cowed down by their sheer money and muscle power and blindly follow them. For them it has become fashionable to use fireworks in a manner that causes maximum distress and annoyance to people with scant disregard to the impact it has on environment. With pollution levels in most of our cities already in the danger zone little do people realize that fireworks make way for toxic substances that enfold the atmosphere which are deleterious to the health of all living beings.

10 When the young and strong, rich and wealthy enjoy bursting crackers to their heart s content, there are so many other living beings, Including humans suffer immensely. Following are few examples:

11 The pain and suffering infants undergo during the Diwali days is unimaginable. These little ones have no way to express their fear and pain of bearing with the ear-deafening crackers and other fireworks except the language of cries and laments. Worst still the flight of little babies.

12 Do we know what must be going on in the minds of the elderly, sick and the homebound during the Diwali days? While the young and the strong will be enjoying every bit of celebration like bursting of crackers, the elderly, sick and the homebound must be silently praying for God s strength to bear with the pain and suffering. They have no other way but to pray, because, no one is in a mood to listen to their pain and agony.

13 Diwali, the festival of lights and sweets, is also the time when asthma patients suffer from exposure to smoke. "I see 15 to 20 Patients with spasms of asthma on Diwali day, as against four or five on other days," says Dr M Manimaran, pulmonologist and allergist. According to him, the trigger for the attack is heavy smoke from crackers like chakras, sparklers and snake tablets. "Children between the ages of six and 12 are particularly susceptible to the attack during Diwali," he added.

14 The act of bursting of crackers itself if fraught with dangers to humans. Hundreds of people, especially youngsters get injured in the process of bursting crackers, and even deaths. Safdarjung Hospital has one of the largest burn care facilities in India. This facility receives the largest number of firecracker-related injury patients throughout the year. However, it almost takes the form of an epidemic during Diwali. This unit runs a special disaster management protocol around Diwali.

15 Catching fire to the firecracker shops is very common. There are many instances of loss of life and limb due to the fire accidents. E.g. read this news Fajjupur village in Dhariwal sub-division of this district in Punjab. About 0430 hrs, three women were killed when a powerful explosion tore through a house where firecrackers were being made illegally. The blast also injured seven people, including a child. The blast was so powerful that five other houses in the vicinity caught fire and collapsed due to its impact. About ten people were still trapped in the debris of the houses. Fire Fighters were trying to rescue them

16 Diwali may be all about fireworks and fun for people, but it's not the same for birds and animals. Dogs and cats cower in fear as birds spend a sleepless nights on their perches, with some even falling victim to the rockets and airborne firecrackers.

17 A.P. Activists campaigning against the bursting of noisy crackers say that each year post Diwali thousands of pigeons are found dead on the roads of Charminar, Koti, Sultan Bazaar, Nampally railway station, Chilkalguda, Begumpet and several other areas, unable to bear the high-pitched explosions.

18 What about cows, sheep, buffalos, pigs etc? These innocent animals contribute so much for human beings. During the Diwali days, these animals suffer silently without even able to express their fear and pain. There are even instances of death of cows, buffalos etc when they run helter skelter when they hear the sound and noise of loud crackers.

19 Fireworks not only harm humans and animals, but even Mother Earth including trees, soil, water, air and so on. The fireworks get their flamboyance from a variety of chemicals, many of which are toxic to humans. From the gunpowder that fuels their flight to the metallic compounds that color their explosions, fireworks often contain carcinogenic or hormone-disrupting substances that can seep into soil and water, not to mention the lung-clogging smoke they release and plastic debris they scatter.

20 Addition to the harmful effects of bursting of fireworks on humans, animals and Mother Earth, this industry also perpetuates social evils like child labour. For example Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu state, about 45,000-50,000 children are employed in the fireworks industry. These children earn about rupees a day on piece-rates. When an inspector visits a factory, child workers are bundled into store-rooms and sheds. When asked if the long hours deprived her of the pleasures of childhood, 12-year-old Kavitha gave a resigned look. When asked if she would like to go to school like other girls, she shot back: "Who will feed me, then?

21 Besides all the above harm done due to the bursting of firecrackers, hundreds of crores of rupees are splurged on crackers. Are we doing justice to our Motherland and Mother Earth? (see next slide a comment by a reader of a web portal)

22 Facts about bursting crackers An increase in air pollution by six to ten times on Diwali in terms of SPM, nitrogen Oxides (Nox), sulphur dioxide (SO2), etc. An increase in noise pollution above 125 decibel (db), which is above the tolerable limits, and can cause deafness. An increase in incidents of respiratory diseases such as acute bouts of asthma, bronchitis and heart attacks.

23 Harmful effects of Chemicals used in crackers

24 Health Effects PM 10 & PM 2.5 (Metals, acids, etc.) Neurological, hematological, carcinogenic effects Respiratory problems SO 2 & NO 2 Cardiovascular diseases Developmental problems (premature births, etc.) O 3 Respiratory problems (asthma, bronchitis, etc.)

DILEMMA: SHOULD BONFIRE NIGHT BE BANNED?

The Big Debate DILEMMA: SHOULD BONFIRE NIGHT BE BANNED? THE BIG DEBATE: SHOULD BONFIRE NIGHT BE BANNED Friday 10 November 2017 THE DILEMMA It has been a tradition for centuries. Every 5 November, people