Hey there!
I thought it might be interesting to discuss fireworks. For myself, I roughly think of it as shooting garbage up in the sky and exploding it or lighting it on fire on the ground.
We burn metal salts to create nice colors, but it also creates a lot of nasty smoke. The bangs and lights must terrify so many animals. Even if people are good at picking up their trash, we can't hope to get it all.
All in all, I think of how much needless pollution of various kinds happens during this 25 hours window.
A lot of it is outlawed here now, being increasingly replaced by larger displays organised by the municipalities and that is great. However, I think we could do more (or in this case less).
I know I'm a killjoy btw 😄 how do you feel about it?
Same. Loved it as a kid but now I think it's unnecessary. Looks like the public opinion here is also slowly turning against them, hope they'll be phased out soon.
I like to have a fireworks display on the 4th of July but I don't do it any other time of the year. I avoid any aerial fireworks that have plastic shells or plastic nose cones in them. I clean up any paper and cardboard debris the next day.
Drone light shows are an interesting new development in aerial displays. I could see them eventually replacing some of the larger traditional fireworks displays put on by major cities around the world.
I feel like this kind of logic is just going to ruin every thing fun in life tbh. Sometimes a bit of wreckless fun is good.
Like it's funny cause just earlier I was on the porch trying to watch a video and people not too far off were setting off fireworks which were quite loud and illegal in this state, as I live in the People's Republic of North Carolina where you have to drive all the way to South Carolina just to buy anything cool that actually either explodes or shoots up in the air. I guess the central committee thinks it's best that the children if this state are relegated to playing with gay ass sparklers and fountain fireworks. The kind of horse shit you can buy in a common grocery store. That's the kind of fireworks that are legal in this state.
I grew up in Florida, where there were actually dedicated fireworks stores that operated year round lol.
As an adult, it's not like I would be frequently buying fireworks. But when you are like 12 years old there's nothing more fun than playing with fireworks. We used to have so much fun finding creative ways to misuse bottle rockets and Roman candles. I feel like every kid deserves that right.
Quote from: Jwb on Jan 01, 2024, 04:01 AMI feel like this kind of logic is just going to ruin every thing fun in life tbh. Sometimes a bit of wreckless fun is good.
Like it's funny cause just earlier I was on the porch trying to watch a video and people not too far off were setting off fireworks which were quite loud and illegal in this state, as I live in the People's Republic of North Carolina where you have to drive all the way to South Carolina just to buy anything cool that actually either explodes or shoots up in the air. I guess the central committee thinks it's best that the children if this state are relegated to playing with gay ass sparklers and fountain fireworks. The kind of horse shit you can buy in a common grocery store. That's the kind of fireworks that are legal in this state.
I grew up in Florida, where there were actually dedicated fireworks stores that operated year round lol.
As an adult, it's not like I would be frequently buying fireworks. But when you are like 12 years old there's nothing more fun than playing with fireworks. We used to have so much fun finding creative ways to misuse bottle rockets and Roman candles. I feel like every kid deserves that right.
Quote from: Jwb on Jan 01, 2024, 04:01 AMI feel like this kind of logic is just going to ruin every thing fun in life tbh. Sometimes a bit of wreckless fun is good.
Like it's funny cause just earlier I was on the porch trying to watch a video and people not too far off were setting off fireworks which were quite loud and illegal in this state, as I live in the People's Republic of North Carolina where you have to drive all the way to South Carolina just to buy anything cool that actually either explodes or shoots up in the air. I guess the central committee thinks it's best that the children if this state are relegated to playing with gay ass sparklers and fountain fireworks. The kind of horse shit you can buy in a common grocery store. That's the kind of fireworks that are legal in this state.
I grew up in Florida, where there were actually dedicated fireworks stores that operated year round lol.
As an adult, it's not like I would be frequently buying fireworks. But when you are like 12 years old there's nothing more fun than playing with fireworks. We used to have so much fun finding creative ways to misuse bottle rockets and Roman candles. I feel like every kid deserves that right.
Don't take the fun out of being a grumpy, pragmatic old man, you Grinch.
They're shit and a waste of money. They're also dangerous, bad for the environment and horrendous for pets and some people with health conditions.
Get them banned or restricted to public displays only. The average person shouldn't be able to buy them and set them off in their gardens at all hours.
As for kids, don't care what they want when it comes to something like this tbh.
You Europeans are just cucked in general lol. You can go ahead and nerf your whole continent and rid it of sharp pointy corners, dangerous dogs and things that go boom. I'll stay over here in the land of the free thank you very much.
People are seriously talking about the smoke lol
Why not the electricity it takes to light up your Christmas displays? That contributes to global warming. Somebody get the central committee on that as well.
Quote from: Jwb on Jan 01, 2024, 06:25 PMPeople are seriously talking about the smoke lol
Why not the electricity it takes to light up your Christmas displays? That contributes to global warming. Somebody get the central committee on that as well.
Comes from water here, so we're good.
Seems like you may have missed out on these electricity discussions cause they're basically non-stop and ongoing, at least here.
A lot of the discussion in Norway is about whether or not wind power, the increased need for electricity (a lot of electric cars etc. here) and the selling of electricity to Europe.
If fireworks are abolished across the land of the free, I guess you can just fire your automatic rifles at the sky instead.
The guns I would agree with you we would be better off without. But fireworks? I don't see the problem with them.
How many people are killed or wounded per year with fireworks?
As for the fact that the electricity comes from the water there, my argument would still apply here in the united states where we don't live in an Aryan utopia like you. And this is the society I'm thinking about. I don't care what you ban in norway.
I love fireworks. Not much more American on the Fourth of July than going to a fireworks show, or setting off your own. When it's Independence Day, and we're drinking beers and watching fireworks explode in the sky, the last thing on my mind is how many animals are being frightened and how much pollution the fireworks are causing.
Quote from: Jwb on Jan 01, 2024, 06:46 PMAs for the fact that the electricity comes from the water there, my argument would still apply here in the united states where we don't live in an Aryan utopia like you. And this is the society I'm thinking about. I don't care what you ban in norway.
What's the argument exactly? That you can't deal with problem A if there's also a problem B that exists in the world?
Quote from: Jwb on Jan 01, 2024, 06:18 PMYou Europeans are just cucked in general lol. You can go ahead and nerf your whole continent and rid it of sharp pointy corners, dangerous dogs and things that go boom. I'll stay over here in the land of the free thank you very much.
Isn't sports betting banned over there? What about Kinder Eggs?
Also what about grenades, bombs and rocket launchers? Are you allowed to have those?
There are certainly things I wish we had more access to. Things that go 'bang' and explode in the sky for a bit aren't really one of them though.
Quote from: Guybrush on Jan 01, 2024, 08:25 PMWhat's the argument exactly? That you can't deal with problem A if there's also a problem B that exists in the world?
the argument is you can easily point to somewhat trivial externalities to try to ban things, such as the smoke from fireworks or even more trivially the electricity consumed by Xmas displays. I don't see why we need to sap the world of all of its joy based on some sort of utilitarian logic or whatever. Maybe I'm just ignorant of the carnage being inflicted every 4th and new years (chicago doesn't count), but this doesn't really seem like much of a pressing issue from my pov.
I'm much more annoyed at the people who shoot their guns off in crowded residential neighborhoods which is very common here.
I'm probably more against than in favour of actual bans. Just hope it'll become less culturally ingrained and at some point more or less disappears.
The same amount of enjoyment can be had in less damaging ways, I think. It's a little vulgar.
Quote from: Jwb on Jan 01, 2024, 10:43 PMI'm much more annoyed at the people who shoot their guns off in crowded residential neighborhoods which is very common here.
Oh yeah, I'd think so too. I've never seen or heard anyone fire a gun in celebration here.
If someone did, I'd probably think they could do with some time in jail.
Quote from: Guybrush on Jan 02, 2024, 12:34 AMThe same amount of enjoyment can be had in less damaging ways, I think. It's a little vulgar.
Like what?
QuoteOh yeah, I'd think so too. I've never seen or heard anyone fire a gun in celebration here.
If someone did, I'd probably think they could do with some time in jail.
well technically shooting your gun in the city limits is a crime. And I have known a couple people who actually got charges for that. But you have to get caught. And the chances of that happening are slim around here. You have to keep in mind I live in the south. The whole country is not quite the same as here I doubt - though I bet much of it is. But either way, around here people love guns. And they just shoot them off for fun randomly pretty often.
At one point I lived in the actual country for about 6 months and Thanksgiving literally sounded like the fuckin opening scene from Saving Private Ryan. They have actual machine guns out there, fully auto. It's commonly thought to be illegal but I'm pretty sure in reality you just need a special license that's hard to get.
QuoteAround here people love guns. And they just shoot them off for fun randomly pretty often. At one point I lived in the actual country for about 6 months and Thanksgiving literally sounded like the fuckin opening scene from Saving Private Ryan.
Good grief :laughing:
What a country.
I agree that fireworks are not a huge issue either way, though I lean towards the Euro Safety State, with controlled displays, perhaps phased out by the intriguing idea of drone displays that someone mentioned.
Quote from: Jwb on Jan 01, 2024, 06:46 PMHow many people are killed or wounded per year with fireworks?
Funny you should ask that, Jwb ! according to google:
QuoteFireworks were involved with an estimated 10,200 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during calendar year 2022 (95 percent confidence interval 7,800–12,500).Jun 17, 2023
Here's an idea of what 10 000 people looks like:
Coming soon: a photo of 10 000 emergency-department nurses patching up the unlucky kids who could've been better protected by their parents/society.
In Europe, population densities are extremely high, health services are usually stretched to the max, so why not ban something that (yes, in a minor way) makes things worse ? "I enjoyed it myself as a kid" is not to me a good answer. I enjoyed not wearing a seat belt, I enjoyed getting cigarettes from the corner shop, etc. but I'm ok seeing those pleasures sacrificed for a safer environment to grow up in.
I definitely remember in the early noughties a big push from the government and TV about firework safety and how dangerous they can be especially in the hands of kids. We had people coming into school and I remember it being drilled into us. Horror stories of kids burning their faces and hands off. It's common here for kids to get them and set them off all over the place, not just around November 5th and New Year but all through autumn and winter. We even did it once. I remember my friend lighting them in his hand and throwing them like grenades. I just thought you have no way of knowing which direction that's going to shoot off into.
Shit like this happens now:
And people setting them off from cars.
Get them restricted!
Also I'm not sure if the smoke thing was in response to me but to be clear I was referring more to the noise. It's not good for animals and people with PTSD and other conditions and we already have restrictions on noise with things like public gatherings and music events in residential areas so it's not as if we don't already have rules in place for that.
Quote from: jimmy jazz on Jan 03, 2024, 02:49 PMI definitely remember in the early noughties a big push from the government and TV about firework safety and how dangerous they can be especially in the hands of kids. We had people coming into school and I remember it being drilled into us. Horror stories of kids burning their faces and hands off.
^ Yes, I remember, not school visitors, but public-service TV announcements in the run-up to Nov 5th - usually squeezed in between the ads for fireworks. Perhaps those ads have disappeared now, due to "the nanny state" ?
That agressive use of fireworks in your video clip should be (and probably is) illegal. In fact, they could modify the rule that Timothy Leary suggested about the use of LSD: "
I shall not alter the consciousness of another person without their consent." Something like that, anyway.