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To the Editor:

I watched something on TV that totally baffled me. The well-known college seemed extremely proud of the thousands of helium balloons they released before the opening kickoff before a football game. Embossed with the school’s bright colors, they flew towards the sun like a flock of tropical birds. I wondered, did anyone within this school’s faculty consider where these pieces of colored plastic trash were going land or even care? That’s basically what a balloon is after it has been released, trash. Worst yet, did anyone in the stadium know how far these balloons could travel? I know, very far!

Living here on the Outer Banks of North Carolina is a dream. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful barrier islands in the world. However, violent storms, hurricanes, and blown-up helium balloons are no strangers on this coast. After a big storm with strong easterly winds, it’s almost impossible to walk ten feet without seeing a balloon on the beach. Ribbons, strings, and rubber remnants are everywhere. It’s evident that most of these “beach balloons” landed in the ocean and were washed onto the shore. Further investigation of some individual pieces is quite stunning and revealing.

The dates, captions, and locations printed on them do not lie. Many were released during weddings and birthdays. Some have dates that suggest they have been around for years. The one balloon that was most astonishing to me came from a car dealership in Arizona. Could it have possibly traveled that far? Many other balloons with logos from places outside of our state’s border are proof these balloons come from far distances.

The regrettable fact is how many I find in just a small area. There’s a one mile of stretch of barren beach that I walk frequently. Once, after a big storm, it yielded nearly three trash bags of balloon waste! The “tide” balloons I call them. There are also “wind” balloons nearby. These are the half inflated ones found captured in the sand dunes and trees entangled by their ribbons. They also sail on the ocean by the thousands every day. Regardless of where they are found, these freed or lost balloons anywhere are disgusting and perhaps a horrific reflection of the hypocritical society we live in these days. A youngster cries if his balloon escapes his tiny fingers but 75,000 collage kids and parents cheer as 5,000 intentionally released balloons float off to pollute Earth. Sorry, but something is not right here.

These freed balloons are also a hazard to a variety of wildlife. The half inflated ones troll across the ocean with their attractive trailing ribbons that mimic jellyfish. They are sadly ingested by sea turtles, fish, whales, and many other creatures of the sea. Deflated balloons are found wrapped in coral reefs and in twisted mats of seaweed around the world. There are millions and millions at the bottom of our oceans. A very disturbing site and incomprehensible thought to say the least.

What do we need to do to alleviate this problem? First, we must begin to understand the consequences of our detrimental actions regarding the release of helium balloons into the atmosphere. Is the unintentional harassment of the world’s wildlife worth watching rubber balloons disappear into the sky for a few moments? The truthful answer without discussion is no! Nobody would think that this trash would look good on a pristine beach either. Perhaps it’s time for one of these institutes of higher education to set an example. Take the cost of 5,000 helium balloons and donate that money to a respectable charity or maybe buy some new horns for the school’s band. Doing something wrong and pretending it is right is not what our youth should be learning in college.

Kevin McCabe, 2024

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