Air pollution, tons of waste, house fires and many thousands of injured people: according to environmental aid, there are enough reasons why a ban on firecrackers can make sense. Your demand for a final ban on firecrackers is now supported by a representative survey.
The German Environmental Aid (DUH) has called on Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser to end the firecrackers “once and for all” this year. With a few simple changes to the explosives ordinance, the minister could quickly put an end to environmentally harmful fireworks, said DUH federal manager Jürgen Resch to the editorial network Germany (RND). He is pleased that a growing majority of Germans are in favor of a ban on firecrackers.
In a representative survey by the Insa Consulere Institute on behalf of the Brandenburg Consumer Advice Center, 53 percent of respondents voted in favor of a ban, while 39 percent were against. “There are many arguments for a ban on black powder rockets and firecrackers: air pollution and thousands of tons of waste, millions of frightened and suffering animals, house fires and many thousands of injured children and adults,” said Resch. Cities and municipalities should also do without classic fireworks. “Municipalities can also ensure a colorful turn of the year with creative light and laser shows or even a drone show.”
According to information from the Federal Environment Ministry, the decision to ban firecrackers on New Year’s Eve lies with the cities and districts. “The annual fireworks on New Year’s Eve can temporarily increase particulate matter pollution in municipalities.
How high this load actually is on site depends on many factors,” a spokesman for the Federal Environment Ministry told the RND. These included, for example, the weather conditions on site and the number of fireworks burned out therefore logically the cities and counties themselves.”
(This article was first published on Tuesday, November 01, 2022.)