Celebrating with a Little Extra CO2

My wishes go formal on July 4^th – nearly everyone I know wishes people a happy 4^th – yet, I say Happy Independence Day. Under different nomenclature and language, perhaps, but there is a July 4^th everywhere in the world, and while Norway, Rwanda, Denmark, and Ireland host celebrations on this day, only the USA commemorates it as Independence Day. After the initial formation of the United States on July 4, 1776, it took 183 years to shape the USA as we know it now. Alaska and Hawaii became the final states to join the union in 1959.

Three days prior, Canada observes Canada Day, previously called Dominion Day. It was on July1^st, 1867 that the British North America Act amalgamated the United Canadas (Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single nation thereafter known as Canada. Historically, over the course of the next 82 years, various colonies joined to form Canada as it stands now. Newfoundland became the 10^th and concluding province in 1949.

Whether in Canada or the United States, on the nation’s birthday, people celebrate national pride, patriotism, and freedoms in many ways:

• Fireworks

• Parades

• Barbecues

• Carnivals

• Fairs

• Camping

• Picnics

• Concerts

• Baseball games

• Family reunions

• Political ceremonies

In the United States, Massachusetts is the only state that completely bans consumer fireworks. Some others have various restrictions on certain classifications of consumer fireworks. All states allow for public fireworks, typically operated by local fire departments.

While people smile and greet others at various celebrations, radical environmentalists are angry, seething at all the additional CO₂ being emitted into the atmosphere. It is worse for the likes of Greta Thunberg as I write in “The Climate Darling No More”, “ . . . in real life Greta Thunberg said, “I can see carbon dioxide”, or as Thunberg’s mother writes, “She can see carbon dioxide with the naked eye. She sees how it flows out of chimneys and changes the atmosphere in a landfill.”

The environmental group, Greenly, in an article titled, “Why is the Fourth of July So Bad for the Environment?” says:

• A normal summer cookout for less than five people emits more greenhouse gas emissions than an 80-mile car ride;

• The captivating and colorful firework shows we see on the Fourth of July emit around 94.3 kilotons, or over 200 pounds, of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The smoke from fireworks contains particulate matter, such as strontium, barium, and lead, that can provoke asthma attacks and other respiratory diseases;

• Air travel during the 4th of July leaves behind 1645 kilotons, or 3,626 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, and cars leave behind 1465 kilotons, or 3,229 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions;

• Concerts negatively impact the environment on a multitude of levels. For instance, the plastic waste purchased by the concert-goers produces waste – and the energy necessary to operate all of the sound and light equipment also leaves behind a large carbon footprint;

• Parades: Overall, all of these typical Fourth of July festivities consume enough resources that could power electricity in 1,511,455 homes, fuel 1,673,765 gasoline-powered vehicles for a year.

In any event, do not let the annoyance of the environmentally ignorant, non-fun-loving, virtue signalers spoil your fun, and let me wish you a happy Independence Day, a Happy 4^th, or a belated Canada Day.