Picture and article by Ey@el

Original en français

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Resulting from the use of gunpowder — a 1000 year old Chinese invention imported in Europe, two centuries later by Marco Polo, based on a recipe using sulphur, saltpetre and additional flammable metal salts (such as magnesium and caesium), those fireworks the masses are treated to during festivals and celebrations are nothing but upgraded gunpowder still in use for mass killing.

Thus, they qualify as explosives and cannot be deemed as perfectly safe. In addition to a number of (sometimes lethal) accidental and fire hazards from flying debris, they may cause serious damage to ecosystems and to the health of bystanders inhaling the smoke. Indeed, amongst the chemicals used to produce these deflagrating rockets are nitrate, chlorate, and perchlorate as well as sulphur and a number of highly toxic and carcinogenic heavy metals such as titanium, barium, and strontium (traces of which were found in streams surrounding the launching sites of pyrotechnic shows).

Not to mention that, every year, these “entertainment bombs” cost municipalities a small fortune. To give you an idea, in 2015, the city of Paris spent 700,000 euros compared with €300,000 in Marseilles, €80,000 in Rennes or €30,000 in Nice). They do prefer cutting back on more useful expenditure meanwhile taxing carbon emissions and polluting activities. Point out the paradox and they'll call you a conspiracy theorist. My, the rubbish you can read on the Internet!

I took the above picture from my window on 13th July this year, almost asphyxiated by the thick smoke filling the surrounding area, which soon covered all plants, trees and cars (a neighbour even had his vehicle damaged by flying debris and is going to file a complaint once the technical services reopen from their annual leave). We actually had to wear makeshift masks to go out and collect bagfuls of rocket debris or remnants (pieces of cardboard, plastic, and small beads resembling very much air rifle pellets), some still incandescent might even have set fire to grasses and bushes had it not been for the recent heavy rains.

Many years ago, a petition had been signed to prohibit the launching of fireworks at short distance from dwellings, but the stadium from which they used to operate having recently been renovated, the council chose to keep it quiet until the last second as to where the new location would be, even careful not to make too much noise in preparing the event so that local residents wouldn't find out until later evening after all municipal services had closed. That said, coming from a megalomaniac TV show host-looking rogue mayor who, like his high-ranking politician friends, shows little to no regard to anyone but himself and believes himself above the law, always managing to slip through the net while having no scruples about resorting to the same methods as the “Great Ones” of demonocracy to muzzle the opposition — the only thing we can reasonably expect would be a “polite” finger with a smirk all wrapped up in the usual sickening hallucinogenic gibberish of such white hats with the darkest linings.

Welcome to Democrassia!

Ey@el

#Polaroid Android

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