the merged banned Chinese Lanterns thread

[strudders]

You are all wrong. DEFRA have sod all to do with meat hygiene. That is the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) which is part of the FSA.

Bloody losers

[oldbird]

What happened to the gentle Chinese lantern discussion?

[cejx]

True but you cant sent for slaughter without a DEFRA passport and tag!

[mikeb]

Maybe the 'farmers' would like to take their 'beef' somewhere else Anyways, back to the lanterns ...

Again, not by any means a personal recommendation, but here's another readily available lantern that claims to be 100% biodegradable AND it also clearly states that it contains no metal parts

If you're going to use these things then please at least make the effort to do so responsibly ... which means:

(1) Only using them in an appropriate place when the weather conditions are suitable.

(2) Buying lanterns that make a significant attempt to be genuinely environmentally friendly therefore not posing a significant risk to livestock etc. or adding to the general problem of random long-term litter.

(3) And lastly, not risking future licensing issues by using them in excess when the existing event licence (presumably) already prohibits their use of course

It's not in any way unreasonable to ask those who want to use these things to do a bit of research before buying the 'right' thing for the job and then using it sensibly is it ? Nope, thought not, so please try to make sure that everyone and everything has a good time and all that

Edited January 21, 2010 by mikeb

[Boris]

Bloody heck... I thought these were just nice pretty things and that's it... but some people on here whom I know and whose opinions I respect have genuine and serious concerns.... this makes me sad cause I'll have to think again..are we sure it's not hysteria though?. but I like the lanterns! Boo hoo sob!... righto... wire free then? Looking at Mike's link the close-ups do seem to show string like stuff not wire holding the parrafin block.

Edited January 22, 2010 by Boris

[paulo999]

are we sure it's not hysteria though?

[Kyelo]

I'd say it's not. Fire brigades don't tend to be very alarmist. They mostly give out balanced advice based on their expert knowledge, from seeing things most of us are fortunate enough not to have any experience of.

Someone earlier said they are "ruining our way of life". A bit stretchy really. They spent a good deal of time at the last festival touring round live-in vehicles, helping fit smoke detectors free of charge.

[grumpyhack]

This sort of wildlife?

[LittlemissC]

ERRRR... the carcass would have been incinerated. It would have been nigh on impossible to enter the food chain for either human or pet consumption. Farmers do not treat their livestock as pets. A beef farmer will raise a cow for slaughter - not to sit on his knee whilst watching Eastenders. Yes it is debatable how in some cases cows are raised, but being a very happy steak lover, I take a great interest on how my cow/pig/sheep was raised and slaughtered and buy incredibly carefully - with this I tuck into my meat with a smile on my face. Not all farmers are bad.

[Kyelo]

This sort of wildlife?

[Glastoboy]

This sort of wildlife?

[rabid]

Show me examples of tents burning down at Glastonbury because of these lanterns.

Like I said if we are going to ban them we should ban all fire hazzards including stoves, fires and BBQs.

[Katster]

Most festivals don't allow campfires.

[5co77ie]

Maybe the 'farmers' would like to take their 'beef' somewhere else Anyways, back to the lanterns ...

Again, not by any means a personal recommendation, but here's another readily available lantern that claims to be 100% biodegradable AND it also clearly states that it contains no metal parts

If you're going to use these things then please at least make the effort to do so responsibly ... which means:

(1) Only using them in an appropriate place when the weather conditions are suitable.

(2) Buying lanterns that make a significant attempt to be genuinely environmentally friendly therefore not posing a significant risk to livestock etc. or adding to the general problem of random long-term litter.

(3) And lastly, not risking future licensing issues by using them in excess when the existing event licence (presumably) already prohibits their use of course

It's not in any way unreasonable to ask those who want to use these things to do a bit of research before buying the 'right' thing for the job and then using it sensibly is it ? Nope, thought not, so please try to make sure that everyone and everything has a good time and all that

[st00ka]

You are all wrong. DEFRA have sod all to do with meat hygiene. That is the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) which is part of the FSA.

Bloody losers

[mikeb]

... holding the parrafin block.

Edited January 22, 2010 by mikeb

[Kyelo]

Yeah I was at this festival last year and loads of people were letting off BBQs. There was hot charcoal raining down everywhere, I'm surprised no one got hurt!

Edited January 22, 2010 by BenchBuddah

[paulo999]

Unattended fires/BBQs etc are also discouraged.

If people could 'attend' their lanterns throughout flight and landing, I doubt they would be on the "do no bring" list.

[denwyn]

Bloody hell....how much more of this crap can we take...LIGHTEN UP PEOPLE

[rabid]

Gust of wind, could easily blow embers of a BBQ or fire onto a tent. Also even when it has died down you could get somebody who stumbles into and knocks it over into a tent.

Anyway your sarcasm still doesn't hide the matter, show me the factual evidence that lanterns are a fire hazzard to humans anymore than a BBQ, stove or fire. I agree the above examples above are highly unlikely but so are the chances that a lantern will harm somebody.l

So show me the evidence, I'm all ears.

[Pinhead]

Having read enough articles about the poor cowlings and other wildlife being put in danger from the countryside being littered in non-biodegradable wire I am all for this trend to end.

A very pricey waste of money too. Everyone seems to be 'doing it' now and so the one you spent your £4 on is lost in amongst all the hundreds of others being let off. Go spend the money on a donation to Water Aid or if you are selfish, a pint of Hot & Spicy.

I'm all for marriage proposals being written on the lantern being an excuse for setting one off but other than that the novelty of lighting a paper bag for £4 and watching it fly away to possibly injure an animal when it lands for is very silly indeed.

[Kyelo]

Link

No I don't have evidence of lanterns harming people but if one can burn through a marquee, what's it going to do to your tent with you asleep inside it?

Isn't it blindingly obvious to you that the potential is there with all the thousands of tightly packed tents at Glastonbury. As Paulo says, there is also a risk with camp fires and stoves but you don't light them and leave them to go wandering off by themselves with no control over them.

[refriedgenes]

...compared to some festivals (e.g. the big chill where lanterns are actually encouraged through organised releases and having stalls selling them onsite) you dont really get that many at glasto!

[Katster]

Think back . . . you and I were up in Kings Meadow with some of the Glastonbury noobs last year after the eFestivals Cider Bus meet helping to set them off . . .

[rabid]

Read that article already, makes little difference in my view.

Yes of course I can see the risk, but it's a very, very small one. I can't find any report on any human being harmed directly or indirectly by one. You are advocating banning them for what is a very tiny, if not irrelevant risk. There are tonnes of things people use/do at Glastonbury that are far riskier.

If you want to ban them because of the enviromental damage or animal welfare, although I disagree I can see the weight of that argument. I can't see the point in banning something with a slight fire risk, not at all. I