Chinese balloons and lanterns, as well as coloured ribbons, can no longer be left to flutter in the air because they are potentially harmful to the environment and animals. This is provided for by an ordinance signed by the mayor of Elmas, Maria Laura Orrù, which also indicates the penalties for violators: the fines range from a minimum of 25 euros to a maximum of 500.
The ban introduced in the municipality of the metropolitan city of Cagliari is unique, but it responds to a precise commitment of the administration since its establishment: to encourage every action aimed at protecting and safeguarding the environmental and faunal heritage and promoting every conservation activity of the territory.
The mayor points out that numerous studies have amply demonstrated the harmful effects of balloons released into the atmosphere on the environment. According to research from the University of Wales Swansea, plastic fragments from these balloons make up 80% of the waste found in the stomachs of sea turtles analysed.
"Ours," explains the first citizen, "is an assumption of responsibility towards the territory. With this and other measures, we are also trying to take up the cry of alarm of the new generations, who are rightly worried about the future of the planet. We must all agree that there are many other ways to celebrate and celebrate an event that are certainly healthier and more harmless to the environment than the launch of balloons into the atmosphere."
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