Those dangers are even more marked in an age of human-caused climate change and a warming world. Persistent drought continues to affect the United States, combined with more frequent and widespread wildfires, and climate scientists predict more of the same as the world warms. Add fireworks to the mix, and it’s a perfect recipe for wildfire. Even legal fireworks pose a serious threat of wildfire: According to the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing fires, fireworks caused 19,500 fires and $105 million in property damage in the U.S. in 2018 alone. And the damage isn’t limited to the United States—just this month, 13 people were arrested in Greece after a superyacht allegedly launched a fireworks show that triggered a 300-acre forest fire.
Drone shows produce less pollution than fireworks, but will they stick around? Photograph by Crissy1982, Getty Images
Fourth-of-July fireworks coincide with the peak of summer, and fire weather forecasters do their best to warn the public about particularly hot, windy, dangerous days, issuing red flag warnings that trigger state and federal laws prohibiting the use of fireworks on those days. As a result, fireworks shows in many states are often canceled or postponed, disappointing audiences and sometimes incurring pricey bills.
Fireworks leave behind other legacies, pumping pollutants into the air and depositing large amounts of heavy metals into the air, soil, and water. These impacts can disproportionately impact predominantly Black and Hispanic communities that already bear the brunt of pollution, contributing to respiratory ailments and other health conditions.
“I like fireworks, but I really feel they are not sustainable any longer,” says Bateman.
Are drones the solution?
The reasons to opt out of fireworks displays seem clear. But are drone shows the solution? These displays still create light pollution, and critics note that drone production still involves pollution and the creation of greenhouse gases. Drones can also collide with wildlife in the air, Bateman and his colleagues write, and there is some research that shows that animals react negatively to having drones in their habitats.