06 Dec. 2018 · News

Louisa Hieke

„... please without noise and smoke!"

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With timpani and trumpets into the New Year

So colorful, so romantic, so high up in the air ... so much money, so much fine dust, so much noise. Now we killed the New Years fun, didn'we? But we only want to create awareness.

>>> Read citizen information (in german language) or keep on reading

See it from another angle

For centuries, fireworks have exerted an uncanny fascination on us humans. There is hardly a major event today, culminating in an artfully arranged fireworks display.

Did you know that in the past only pyrotechnics specialists were allowed to light fireworks and today toddlers watch their daddies in their own home garden lighting up the fireworks? Pretty scary, in fact...

Special & sparkling

How about instead: a mulled wine in your hand next to your loved ones in a deck chair, the snow lights up the night and the stars sparkle in the sky. Shooting stars are supposed to bring good luck and isn't the new year supposed to start with good luck ...

Also it doesn't sound so scary, if you imagine that fox and rabbit in the forest might look up to the same starry sky.

Noise = stress for humans and animals

Fireworks can reach a sound pressure level of up to 170 dB (decibels). For comparison, the noise level of a jet engine 25 meters away is about 140 dB and it's already unbearable at 110 dB.

Older people, infants, pets and pets suffer extremely from the prolonged noise and this is an extreme stress factor. Wild animals and pets also can hear many times better than humans. The noise of fireworks leads them either to frightened crawling or panic escape behavior. That is how your pet reacts aswell, right?

Sparklers for New Year's miracle

Imagine this: Lighten the sparkler, close your eyes and wish for something. This is like a second birthday candle! They shine brightly, like tiny golden snowflakes, which are whirled into the air and make children's eyes shine.

Plus it's much quieter and the garbage stays in place. The game in the forest will also thank you.

What does the world cost?!

It's not just the champagne corks that are cracked that day, but also 90% of the spent pyrotechnics. On New Year's Eve, only in Austria, an average of ten million euros in form of rockets and fireworks are literally exploded in the air. After the bang the waste remains in the woods.

We wonder if that moeny could either cover the forest floor or perhaps pay your next holiday in the mountains?

From fine dust to an accident report

What humans blow up on this day, based on the readings on every other day of the year, would make the telephone wires in the environmental centers of the countries glow
The limit value of particulate matter (PM 10) is exceeded by almost 10 to 15 times at almost all municipal measuring points in Austria
Depending on the location and meteorological conditions, New Year's fireworks are responsible for up to eight days of particulate matter
After the explosion of the fireworks, heavy metal particles float around in the air, adding color to the fireworks. Including: strontium, lead, selenium or cesium
Burned-out fireworks cause tons of garbage to be disposed of by yard workers, landowners and farmers
However, what falls back to nature in the wild remains there and poses a considerable danger to wildlife and to animals in agriculture through food intake - or did you order deer with metal particles?
For many people, the pyrotechnic New Year's Eve fun ends in the hospital and not infrequently caused property damage and fires by duds. Fire brigade and emergency physicians are in constant use!

New Year joy with friends & family

Phew, quite a lot of facts, we are on New Year's Eve rather together, instead of alone. A toast into the new year with our loved ones and our guests already is THE hightlight for us and makes our hearts lighten up. Nevertheless, there will be a count backwards and you know the tingling in the stomach when it hits midnight!

Tip: Celebrate New Year's Eve with us in Riezlern at Gemeindeplatz and let's count down the seconds to the New Year together. We clean up on the spot and bring you home. More events

Leaving our marks in Kleinwalsertal

So that all of us can enjoy a nice and clean Kleinwalsertal in the new year, we ask locals and guests to collect their own burned firecrackers and dispose them according to regulations before the livestock, game and small animals eat it and ultimately suffer from it.

Think about to maybe not use any fireworks at all this year and experience New Year's Eve from a different angle.

With kind regards and a happy new year!

Your nature, animals & community

>>> Citizen Information (german language)