US sky lantern festival heading to UK prompts huge farmer concern
Farmers and landowners across the globe have been left in fear of the impact a staggered international mass sky lantern launch will have on their livestock and the environment.
Lauren Dean
The Lights Fest, primarily a US events organisation, has confirmed pre-registration for a festival tour in more than a dozen UK cities as of December 2017, adding to 46 additional dates in America.
Cities expected to be affected include London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Southampton, Bradford, Leicester, Nottingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dublin.
Events on Facebook suggested The Lights Fest was ‘dedicated to leaving a positive impact on the environment’ but users were quick to question the liability of the mass launch, accusing organisers of ignoring the dangers to both wildlife and livestock.
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One comment asked ‘can someone tell me how this is leaving a positive impact on the environment?’ whilst others slammed the festival as ‘totally brainless’ and a ‘serious danger’.
Other users warned potential attendees the festival was a money-making scam and scattered the site with links to a UK parliamentary petition for a permanent ban on the sale and use of sky lanterns.
A The Lights Fest spokesman said: “We work closely with a fire marshall to make sure our event is safe and environmentally safe.
“Our lanterns have a burn time of less than a minute and they burn out before landing. They are 100 per cent biodegradable and we clean them up after the event so there is no litter left behind.”
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