Eco-Friendly ‘Green’ Fireworks May Brighten 4th of July Displays in Future
A spectacular fireworks display on July 4, 2008, over New York City's East Village. (Wikipedia Commons, David Shankbone)
With millions of people in the United States eagerly awaiting those July 4 fireworks displays — and Canadians doing likewise for their July 1 Canada Day celebrations — here’s a prospect for those light shows of the future likely to ignite a smile on Mother Nature’s face: A new generation of “green” fireworks is quietly making its way toward the sky.
That’s “green” as in environmentally friendly.
Fireworks, flares and other so-called “pyrotechnics” traditionally have included potassium perchlorate as the oxidizer, a material that provides the oxygen that fireworks need to burn. Perchlorate, however, is an environmental pollutant with potential adverse effects on people and wildlife. Pyrotechnics contain other ingredients, such color-producing heavy metals, with a similar potential. (more…)
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