Politics Plus

It’s that time of year when we literally have a reprise of “the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air” with our traditional annual fireworks displays.

But a number of factors have joined forces to make it become less a tradition, supplanted by colorful and brightly-lit drones.

Firework critics, who have voiced their disfavor due to noise, pollution, injuries, and environmental harm, are celebrating the pandemic’s supply chain shortage of fireworks.  They even find a silver-lining in the megadroughts plaguing the West that are forcing municipalities to forgo fireworks in favor of drone light shows.

Drone light shows have become so popular that they’re booked up months in advance for July 4^th.  And it’s easy to understand why>

Typical drone shows last 10-12 minutes, comparable to and average firework display.  And they will use from 100 drones (felt to be an “entry-level” production) up to 500.

A drone July 4^th generally starts at around $25,000 – which can be about twice as much as a municipal fireworks display.  But they are much more technically cumbersome to design, setup and run.  (To add some perspective, the American Pyrotechnics Association reports that firework displays are a $375 million industry.)

While the cost of drone light show might cause concern, they do have a number of advantages when compared to traditional fireworks.  They are much quieter, cause significantly less pollution, result in far fewer injuries (including deaths) and dramatically less environmental harm.

It’s no surprise that the drought conditions in most of the West have really sparked communities to move to drone shows.  Even before conditions became dire, there were approximately 19,500 fires caused by fireworks back in 2018, with the peak occurring on July 4^th.

Also disturbing is the fact that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that there were over 9,000 fireworks-related injuries seen in emergency departments in 2018.

I was a bit surprised to learn that one of the strongest supporters of drone light shows is from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).  “Drone shows are quiet, safe, practically pollution-free,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk.

As many pet owners can attest, fireworks are pretty much loathed by our cats and dogs.  PETA also points out that besides frightening for small children, they can also be a trigger for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

I’ve yet to enjoy a 4^th of July drone show, but I certainly can see they offer a variety of pluses.