Fireworks are one of the best parts of Independence Day, but with their captivating flashes of light, it’s all too easy to be blinded to the fact that they’re also explosives that spew dust, smoke, heavy metals, carbon monoxide and other toxins into the air. And it isn’t just the environment that we should be worried about. Chemicals like lung-clogging antimony, heart-toxic Barium and body-contaminating perchlorates are all health risks associates with our favorite night sky spectacle. Luckily, scientists are currently working on developing greener fireworks – read on for some informative links that we’ve rounded up on the subject.

Read the rest of Green Fireworks for an Eco-Friendly Independence Day

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Post tags: 4th of july, eco-friendly fireworks, green fireworks, green independence day, independence day

What’s not to love about fireworks? Bright bursts of color, awe-inspiring flashes of light… asthma??!!! More and more people have been voicing their concerns about the health risks (from particle-filled smoke and lung-clogging antimony to heart-toxic Barium and body-contaminating perchlorates) associated with our favorite nighttime spectacles, especially since we’ll be experiencing a ton of them tomorrow for 4th of July. Are there such things as eco-friendly fireworks? Scientists are busy working on them right now, but at the moment, they are too cost-prohibitive to make an appearance in displays this year.

Since we can’t purport to be green fireworks experts, here are the articles that we’ve found to be the most informative on the subject:

Eco-Friendly Fireworks Offer Safer Alternatives from Discovery News

Oh No Mommy, Will the Greenies Take Fireworks Away from Us? (haha) from Treehugger

Eco-Friendly Fireworks and Other Green Alternatives for July 4th from Greenopia

+ 5 Cheap and Easy Ways to Green Your 4th of July

Image credit: d4rr3ll and Mr. Magoo ICU

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Post tags: 4th of july, eco-friendly fireworks, green fireworks, green independence day, independence day