A valuation of environmental protection and fireworks
Today we all have a lot of discussions about climate change and environmental protection. FLASH ART also bothers extensively with that topic. Often fireworks are presented as a big polluter.
Of course, we cannot say that fireworks do not leave any ecological footprint, but in relation to its purview, its emotional power and its artistic potential, fireworks is one of the most environmentally friendly techniques for entertaining large crowds.
How do we come to this statement?
CO2
According to the figures of the Federal Environmental Agency, the total fireworks in Germany (professional and consumer fireworks) generate a CO² output of around 27 g per capita. On the basis of the import statistics (the local production is negligible in the total amount) one can assume that professional fireworks makes up about 8% of it, therefore around 2.2g .
To put these numbers into a proportion, one must know, the CO² emissions per German citizen is according to statistics today at 9-12 tons. In Qatar the emission per citizen is around 40t.
FINE DUST
Even the fine dust discussion is certainly justified, because the combustion of organic material causes fine dust. Unlike the fine dust occured by traffic, which consists mainly of abrasion of brake pads and tires, as well as the emissions of older diesel and direct injection younger gasoline, the majority of the fine dust in fireworks arises by charcoal used in the pyros. It can be assumed that a medium fireworks for a city festival corresponds to the burning of 4 to 8 sacks of charcoal (a 10kg). Different from barbecues, where this crowd is more like 30-40 people, we usually talk about thousands of visitors. Alternatives that have been discussed a lot lately, are not less questionable under ecological point of view because of power consumption, transport, usually required samples and adjustments, but to the contrary often much more problematic.
INVESTIGATIONS
An extensive study by the Swiss Environmental Foundation myclimate for the “Zürifäscht” - the largest event in Switzerland, with 3 fireworks (also the largest in the country) has shown that the fireworks represent only 0.2% of the ecological footprint of the event. By far arrival and departure of visitors as well as their food and drinks cause the largest part.
https://zuerifaescht.ch/news/myclimate-schadstoffe-am-zueri-faescht
In our opinion fireworks, in particular the music-synchronous fireworks productions, are an art form that makes it possible to offer a very high number of visitors an emotional highlight at an event, so, to simply amuse them.
Here you will find further studies and scientific statements (CO2 Footprint Diagramm)
Our industry is working on ever better and less polluting effects, we ourselves try to improve better processes that lead to lower transport volumes or shorter construction times - all steps to a better life cycle assessment. And we like to lead any differentiated discussion on reasonable environmental protection.
We hope, this small compilation of basic data can slightly contribute to the objectification of the appropriate and necessary discussion.
With Best Regards