Up, Up, and Away

By Sarah Aterrado - March 05, 2018

And down to the turtle's throat.

I remember the time when I attended one of my close friends' wedding, I was asked to hold one of the dozen balloons that was to be released into the sky. I shook my head frantically and blurted with some diffidence, "Dili ko. Environmentalist ko." (I won't. I'm an environmentalist)

A friend gave me a perplexed look as he walked away holding the balloon after being forced to volunteer.


We looked up as the balloons flew. It was indeed a beautiful sight. It was my friend's big day. And since we didn't want to be party poopers, Jan and I distanced ourselves, looking up, half-amused, half-concerned. We exchanged whispers, "that one goes to the ocean", "that one goes to the forest", "that's going to be a food for the turtles or the birds".

Sigh.

I wouldn't really call myself an environmentalist because I still, and will always, worship bacon (environmentalists go vegan, they say). But I'm big at recycling. I try not to use and dispose plastics as much as I can.

Beautiful and memorable they are, I don't support balloon releases and sky lanterns not only because it's stupid to think that our wishes and messages go to heaven, but simply because we're just adding up to millions of tons of garbage that's already filling our planet.

Sky Lanterns in Shifen Old Street, Taiwan
Shifen Old Street
Sky lanterns and balloon releases are stupid. I hope, if not everyone, more people think the same way too.



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2 comments

  1. Same goes here. Am not an environmentalist but I love mother nature. I shoot weddings and other events before as a second shooter, adn it's my duty to photographs the "informals" so I have to take photos of the balloons/lanterns but every time they are released, "Asa kaha ni mahagbong" ang naa sa akoang huna-huna. Wala lang, share.com lang ko hahaha.

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    1. Lagi, sometimes wala pud tay mahimo, especially when we are just invited. All we can do is be an example and share awareness na lang jud.

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