Last night in the Netherlands: Boy (14) dies, another boy (13) loses hand, dozens need eye surgery, more fine particles emitted than all road vehicles do in a year, €118 million blown up instead of put to use, millions of pets in fear, wildlife disturbed. Private fireworks: great tradition. - ThreadSky

sustainable2050.bsky.social • 67 days ago

Last night in the Netherlands: Boy (14) dies, another boy (13) loses hand, dozens need eye surgery, more fine particles emitted than all road vehicles do in a year, €118 million blown up instead of put to use, millions of pets in fear, wildlife disturbed. Private fireworks: great tradition.

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Comments

gjcats.bsky.social•66 days ago

Note: the fireworks emitted more particulate matter than *combustion* in road traffic in a year. But road traffic also has PM emission from tire and road surface wear (and from brakes)

jimhigham.bsky.social•66 days ago

It doesn’t alter the principle. It illustrates well how damaging to health and environment both vehicles and fireworks are. EVs will help reduce the vehicle issue including less brake wear.

antikerbal.bsky.social•66 days ago

It is not a tradition, though, just because the perpetrators say it is.

jimhigham.bsky.social•66 days ago

It is a tradition because it’s happened for years. However traditions only continue if people want them to. It’s perfectly reasonable and rational to stop or change a tradition (use lasers and synchronised drones maybe). Traditions evolve, start and stop.

jimhigham.bsky.social•66 days ago

📌

miller-klein.bsky.social•67 days ago

We lived in the Netherlands for 6 years. New Year’s Eve was both amazing and terrifying. It sounded like a major war. Visually spectacular, but the noise, the smoke, and the drifts of paper fragments next day. Always amazed when the workmen came round to seal up the post boxes before the onslaught.

andyscollick.bsky.social•67 days ago

Plus some combat veterans with PTSD type issues have a very tough time of it. And in rural areas, I've seen/heard deer fleeing past our place, risking separating young from mothers.

sustainable2050.bsky.social•67 days ago

Mayor of Rotterdam, where the 14-year old died, calls for national ban on private fireworks, gets lots of support.
https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/roep-om-landelijk-vuurwerkverbod-van-burgemeester-schouten-massaal-gesteund-dit-is-toch-vreselijk~a93853d6/

sustainable2050.bsky.social•67 days ago

Another fatality, in the town of Tiel. "Due to explosion of heavy fireworks"
https://bsky.app/profile/nu.nl/post/3lep5cjocg52w

kevinleecaster.bsky.social•67 days ago

It's past time that we put the first millennia technology of exploding rockets in our atmosphere for entertainment behind us now that we're in the third millennia by our common calendars imo.

sustainable2050.bsky.social•67 days ago

Dutch police chief Janny Knol is in favour of a national ban on private fireworks. Opinion polls suggest this is supported by a majority of the people too, but the current coalition sees it as an important tradition.
https://nos.nl/l/2550288

dekkerdekker.bsky.social•67 days ago

The fireworks at New Year’s are one thing (violence, air quality, etc.), but the almost weekly explosions (The Hague, plumbers/roofers/drug wars) are probably a stronger reason to tamp down on explosives

sustainable2050.bsky.social•66 days ago

The Mayors of Amsterdam and Utrecht support the call by the Mayor of Rotterdam and the national police chief for a ban on private fireworks after the deadly event.
PM Schoof was quick to say that won't happen. Because? His coalition doesn't support it. A killer argument. https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/01/01/vuurwerk-is-een-traditie-maar-hoeveel-mag-die-kosten-a4878284

jenniferkaal.bsky.social•66 days ago

FUCK TRADITION! its just a tradition among young idiot boys and their enabling fathers

graslutscher.de•67 days ago

I had no idea fireworks are such a thing in NL 😳

View from Germany mostly is that things are much more rational like street design, electrification, public transport etc.

In Germany 5 people were killed, in Berlin a self-made bomb destroyed 30 apartments.

thebirdsnest.bsky.social•66 days ago

From cradle to the grave they maim and pollute.
(From the manufacturing process to the end use.)

swollendanube.bsky.social•67 days ago

Most baffling tradition in the Netherlands. Like a war zone for a night.

jenniferkaal.bsky.social•66 days ago

And if you don't seal up your letterbox, you're asking for it..

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