Dear Betty: Reader Question 5/17/2019 Sky Lanterns and Balloons Part Uno

Dear Betty,

I was at an event recently where sky lanterns were released.  They looked beautiful but I wondered if they are harmful to the environment?  People also release balloons, is that harmful to the environment?

Thank you,

Tracy

Dear Tracy,

Thank you for the questions and thank you for reading!  I looked into the sky lanterns and balloons and found some interesting information.  I'll answer the sky lantern question this week and balloons next week. 

Thanks,

Betty

The use of sky lanterns is a tradition that dates back centuries.  They are also known as Kongming lanterns, Chinese lanterns, sky candles, and fire balloons.  They are made from paper and resemble a hot air balloon.

The design is simple and lightweight.  The body is thin paper and the frame is usually a thin metal wire but is sometimes made of rope or bamboo.  There is a thick collar around the opening that serves to keep the flame away from the paper.  When the candle or flammable waxy material is lit, it heats the inside of the lantern and lowers its density.  When it is less dense than that of the surrounding air, the lantern will rise up into the air.  Once the heat source is burned out the lantern will fall back to the ground.  They are promoted as being biodegradable because the paper will degrade and the metal frame will eventually rust away.

Issues with the lanterns are that of the obvious fire hazard and the less obvious danger to animals.  The lanterns can land while the flame is still lit or can start on fire while in the sky if it gets tipped and the flame is exposed to the sides.  It can easily be tipped by wind or by bumping into objects in the sky like trees, buildings, or other structures.  There have been some large fires started because of sky lanterns.  The lantern itself is a danger to animals since they can ingest the wireframe pieces as it rusts away. 

My two cents:  I personally wouldn't use or recommend sky lanterns.  Maybe I'm just no fun at all but it seems a rather risky contraption.  It's sort of like lighting your litter on fire before actually littering it. 

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