# Am I Littering When I Release a Helium Balloon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866 "2012-12-22T20:24:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/41 "2013-02-26T21:38:28Z")
Actually, I wasn’t ninja’ed, now that I look at posting times. Just too excited to post I failed the basic courtesy of reading the thread… ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/42 "2013-02-26T21:40:41Z")
> [@Bob\_X](#): > > But he didn’t know they were in the swamp: really, you had to crane to even see them. Moss I? \ ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/43 "2013-02-26T21:54:56Z")
> [@tompitch4d](#): > > I know the party balloon I release will eventually come down somewhere else, does that count as littering or not? Back in Junior High School I filled a balloon with hydrogen gas generated in chemistry class and released it with a message. Never got a reply. The year before, some kid had received a reply all the way from Finland. (We were in North Central Wisconsin.) Twenty years I found an advertising message in a bottle while surf casting. Some rum company, IIRC. Getting back to the OP - yes, that’s littering, but of a very petty sort. Better than the damned kids who leave their beer party waste on my side lot. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/44 "2013-02-26T21:59:23Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > [Yes](http://touch.sun-sentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-74532061/), according in Florida police, as of today. (Hasn’t been tried yet.) Violation of Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Act. > > Third degree felony. Maximum five years in the clink. Nice. Crack down on them, but not the Kochs or the MTR miners. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CPmNqdRzMmk/maxresdefault.jpg "Koch Brothers Exposed for Cancer Causing Pollution") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPmNqdRzMmk) > **[Water pollution from coal - SourceWatch](https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Water_pollution_from_coal)** ---
**Author:** ![tompitch4d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@tompitch4d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tompitch4d)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/45 "2013-05-12T13:46:51Z")
Nearly all of you who posted here agree that releasing a helium balloon is littering although we can’t agree on or determine why law enforcement allows balloon releases to go on. On May 23rd 2013 in Springfield MO, a respected group plans to release thousands of helium balloons as a fundraiser. They will be latex balloons with no ribbons or strings. I need help crafting a legal argument to persuade them to stop. > **[News](https://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-lost-and-found-grief-center-annual-balloon-release-to-honor-lost-loved-ones-20130510,0,1291119.story)** > > KY3 covers breaking news and news around the Ozarks ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/46 "2013-05-12T14:12:45Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > [Yes](http://touch.sun-sentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-74532061/), according in Florida police, as of today. (Hasn’t been tried yet.) Violation of Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Act. > > Third degree felony. Maximum five years in the clink. Q: What were you arrested for, Kid? A: Litterin’ _And they all moved away from me on the Group W bench…_ ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/47 "2013-05-12T14:43:33Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > Nice. Crack down on them, but not the Kochs or the MTR miners. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPmNqdRzMmk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPmNqdRzMmk) > > [Water pollution from coal - SourceWatch](http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Water_pollution_from_coal) What have the Kochs done that is illegal? Also, see the thread in IMHO on the politics of SD. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/48 "2013-05-12T15:47:42Z")
> [@tompitch4d](#): > > Nearly all of you who posted here agree that releasing a helium balloon is littering although we can’t agree on or determine why law enforcement allows balloon releases to go on. > > On May 23rd 2013 in Springfield MO, a respected group plans to release thousands of helium balloons as a fundraiser. They will be latex balloons with no ribbons or strings. > > I need help crafting a legal argument to persuade them to stop. > > [News](http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-lost-and-found-grief-center-annual-balloon-release-to-honor-lost-loved-ones-20130510,0,1291119.story) You can always alert the town, county, state, and federal government they’re about to do this and let them send a letter to the organizers telling them don’t. ---
**Author:** ![tompitch4d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@tompitch4d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tompitch4d)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/49 "2013-05-12T16:52:54Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > You can always alert the town, county, state, and federal government they’re about to do this and let them send a letter to the organizers telling them don’t. I wrote to the State of MO receiving this written response: “Thank you for your inquiry. While there are better alternatives to use for celebratory and ceremonial events, the Solid Waste Management Program neither restricts nor pursues any enforcement actions related to these type of events.” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/50 "2013-05-12T17:01:24Z")
So let’s say it’s littering. It’s esthetically unpleasant. Is it causing any real problems though? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/51 "2013-05-12T17:09:03Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > So let’s say it’s littering. It’s esthetically unpleasant. Is it causing any real problems though? Of course it is, it is litter. If everybody who drives by your house throws trash out of the car onto your lawn is it causing any real problems? Litter is one of those things that most people don’t want in their space but don’t care much about if it happens to someone else. All the ballons come down on someones property. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/52 "2013-05-12T17:17:14Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > Of course it is, it is litter. If everybody who drives by your house throws trash out of the car onto your lawn is it causing any real problems? > > Litter is one of those things that most people don’t want in their space but don’t care much about if it happens to someone else. All the ballons come down on someones property. The world is full of things I don’t want to see. There are more serious problems than that to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/53 "2013-05-12T17:26:41Z")
OK, then how about wildlife impact? As with a lot of other litter, there are claims that the balloons pose a hazard to animals which eat them or become entangled in them: > **[Impacts on Wildlife & the Environment - Balloons Blow](https://balloonsblow.org/impacts-on-wildlife-and-environment/)** > > Dolphins, whales, turtles, and many other marine species, as well as cows, dogs, sheep, birds and other animals have all been hurt or killed by balloons. ---
**Author:** ![tompitch4d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@tompitch4d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tompitch4d)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/54 "2013-05-12T17:38:23Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > So let’s say it’s littering. It’s esthetically unpleasant. Is it causing any real problems though? Apparently so. Aside from being preventable litter, latex and other balloons are a problem is desert and marine habitats. > **[Accumulation of wind-dispersed trash in desert environments](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140196312002625)** > > Detrimental effects of plastic debris and other trash have been well-studied in marine and coastal environments, but the extent and severity of the th… > **[Impacts on Wildlife & the Environment - Balloons Blow](https://balloonsblow.org/impacts-on-wildlife-and-environment/)** > > Dolphins, whales, turtles, and many other marine species, as well as cows, dogs, sheep, birds and other animals have all been hurt or killed by balloons. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/55 "2013-05-12T17:42:16Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > OK, then how about wildlife impact? As with a lot of other litter, there are claims that the balloons pose a hazard to animals which eat them or become entangled in them: > > [Impacts on Wildlife & the Environment - Balloons Blow](http://balloonsblow.org/impacts-on-wildlife-and-environment) > [@tompitch4d](#): > > Apparently so. Aside from being preventable litter, latex and other balloons are a problem is desert and marine habitats. > > [Accumulation of wind-dispersed trash in desert environments - ScienceDirect](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196312002625) > > [Impacts on Wildlife & the Environment - Balloons Blow](http://balloonsblow.org/impacts-on-wildlife-and-environment) Thank you. That is what I’m asking. People often conflate littering with pollution. Littering is merely annoying, pollution is a serious problem. ---
**Author:** ![tompitch4d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@tompitch4d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tompitch4d)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/56 "2013-05-12T17:57:48Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Thank you. That is what I’m asking. People often conflate littering with pollution. Littering is merely annoying, pollution is a serious problem. So how to stop the two thousand pieces of harmful litter planned for release next week in Springfield MO? Littering is illegal in MO (and most everywhere else). Since littering is a criminal act it is enforced by law enforcement agencies and I guess an officer must witness the infraction. What part of the balloon release constitutes the act of littering? The letting go of the balloon or when it bursts or deflates and hits the ground or water maybe hundreds of miles away? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/57 "2013-05-12T18:13:49Z")
> [@tompitch4d](#): > > So how to stop the two thousand pieces of harmful litter planned for release next week in Springfield MO? > > Littering is illegal in MO (and most everywhere else). Since littering is a criminal act it is enforced by law enforcement agencies and I guess an officer must witness the infraction. > > What part of the balloon release constitutes the act of littering? The letting go of the balloon or when it bursts or deflates and hits the ground or water maybe hundreds of miles away? I don’t care about the littering part. Now what is your assessment of the environmental harm? Does it override a democratically determined abidance of this act? ---
**Author:** ![tompitch4d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@tompitch4d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tompitch4d)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/58 "2013-05-12T18:35:05Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I don’t care about the littering part. Now what is your assessment of the environmental harm? Does it override a democratically determined abidance of this act? My assessment is that there is real harm to the environment from these acts of preventable airborne littering. The numbers of spent balloons found are staggering and the photos of dead and/or entangled animals from balloons are real. My view is that the upcoming release in Springfield MO is not a “democratically determined abidance of this act”. I simply think that most people, including some in law enforcement, have not considered balloon releases as littering or a problem. So, how can you help? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/59 "2013-05-12T18:48:07Z")
> [@tompitch4d](#): > > My assessment is that there is real harm to the environment from these acts of preventable airborne littering. The numbers of spent balloons found are staggering and the photos of dead and/or entangled animals from balloons are real. > > So, how can you help? You haven’t convinced me help is needed. How are you defining real harm to the environment? How may animals will this harm? What long lasting effects will there be. I ask this because I think there are better and more important ways to help the environment, so convince me I should care about this one. > [@tompitch4d](#): > > My view is that the upcoming release in Springfield MO is not a “democratically determined abidance of this act”. I simply think that most people, including some in law enforcement, have not considered balloon releases as littering or a problem. You just defined democratically determined abidance. ---
**Author:** ![tompitch4d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f1d935/32.png) [@tompitch4d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tompitch4d)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866/60 "2013-05-12T19:26:30Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > You haven’t convinced me help is needed. How are you defining real harm to the environment? How may animals will this harm? What long lasting effects will there be. I ask this because I think there are better and more important ways to help the environment, so convince me I should care about this one. > > You just defined democratically determined abidance. I will not be able to quantify the harm in terms of number of animals affected. Likewise, the long lasting effects. What I am saying is that my investigation into balloon releases, assisted by folks on this thread including you, has lead me to the conclusion that balloon releases are a significant problem to people, wildlife, livestock and pets. I base this on a weight of evidence approach as there are few scientific studies available. “You just defined democratically determined abidance” I should have written “I simply think that most people, including some in law enforcement, have not THOUGHT about balloon releases as littering or a problem.” I offer as evidence a webpage that endeavors to educate folks about the problems associated with balloon releases. Again and again, I read testimonials from people who say the never thought about this as a problem until they were approached or challenged to think about it. Once they did, they changed their practice. So, it is my belief that most of the people of Springfield MO have not sought out any information from either point-of-view. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-littering-when-i-release-a-helium-balloon/644866.md?page=4)