The temporary enjoyment of fireworks releases a host of contaminants that affect air quality and can contribute to climate change, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, and particulate matter. They might be pretty but their noise and contaminants are awful for animals, air quality and waterways. When fireworks burst into their colourful lights, chemical debris is left scattered across the ground. Perchlorate is one of them and this chemical remains in the environment for long periods, easily absorbed by neighbouring flora. When it ends up in waterbodies, it can also affect fish development. Several governments have taken steps to fix this problem: The city of Zhengzhou in China enforced a policy prohibiting fireworks in 2016 so that air pollution could improve. In 2018, the firework prohibition policy was reinforced, expanding into other regions, which in turn, had considerable improvements in air quality. Canadian cities located in the province of Alberta, like Banff and Canmore, replaced fireworks with special effects pyrotechnic displays, which are quieter and have a lower altitude, in order to protect wildlife. The town of Collecchio in Italy also switched from standard fireworks to silent fireworks to help reduce stress on local wild animals. Although these fireworks do not have the traditional loud bang, they still have their colourful and illuminated displays, making them a great and more environmentally friendly alternative. Another better option is a drone display, similar to the one presented at the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Laser spectacles can replace fireworks, too, as they reduce the risk of wildfires and do not increase air pollution. Salt Lake City in Utah, the United States, has been substituting some of the city’s fireworks with lasers during the Fourth of July holiday to reduce environmental damage, and these lasers still have the same level of spectacle as fireworks. What can you do? Nobody is suggesting you die in a ditch over this issue, but you can help with even the smallest actions like writing to local government and politicians, spreading information through word-of-mouth or on social media, and signing petitions. These are all steps towards creating awareness of the impacts that fireworks pose on the planet. Thanks for your time.