It’s been awhile since my last balloon rant, almost a year and a half! Of course I’ve seen balloon trash since the last post. In fact, the balloons in the photo were spotted during a blue whale watching trip last summer. And thanks to the internet, it’s time to revive the rant…I mean it’s time to revive the educational discussion.

If you type “balloon trash” into Google, one of the first posts that pops up is my balloon rant titled: Balloon trash is no joke. This is probably how Amie Koporc’s mom found me and commented on the post. It turns out that Amie, who is a second grader in Georgia, is upset that Georgia’s state government hasn’t banned balloon releases and rightly so!

Here’s what Amie’s mom had to say in her comment:

“If you’re able, please take just a minute and sign this petition that my 2nd grader has started to outlaw mass balloon releases in the state of Georgia. Please share with others who may share her passion for our wildlife, the environment, and reducing litter. She is seeking signatures from around the globe. Many balloons end up in our oceans creating pollution and potentially harm sea turtles and other marine animals who confuse them with their favorite food — jellyfish!”

I fully support Amie, but the reality is that Georgia politicians only care what the good people of Georgia have to say. Now you might be thinking…then why did I bother signing that petition to save the Maui’s dolphin in New Zealand? Well, that’s a different situation. In the case of the Maui’s dolphin, New Zealand activists already tried and failed to get New Zealand’s government to act and now they are hoping international pressure will do the trick, so the more signatures the better.

State elected officials only care what their constituents think; I know because I used to work for one in the State of California. So if you live in Georgia, please sign this petition and help protect marine life along Georgia’s coast. And a big thanks to Amie and her mom for working hard to stop balloon trash in their part of the world.