Both Porsgrunn and Skien municipality wants to ban helium balloons on May 17th.
– We do not want to contribute to animals suffering and the nature being polluted because we celebrate our freedom and our democracy, the May 17th. Committee of Skien writes on their website.
In Porsgrunn they have for several years stated clearly that they do not want stalls and balloon sellers in the streets on the National Day. Now followed up by the neighbouring municipality Skien is prohibiting helium balloons.
Leader of the May 17th committee in Skien says to TA, that helium balloons has become an environmental problem
– Only a handful of these balloons end up in a trashcan when they are punctured. They are released and end up polluting the nature, says Christopher H. Skaate to the newspaper.
Strange prohibition
Member of Parliament for the Progressive Party Bård Hoksrud thinks it is weird to ban helium balloons on May 17th.
– We can not prohibit every time someone does not like something. Instead of banning, we rather try to see how we can do something about the problem instead of a ban, Hoksrud says.
He does not believe that helium balloons are a big problem, and believes that it should be allowed one day of the year.
– I realize that people are not happy that balloons are flying into the wilderness, but it happens one day in the year, and I feel that it is not as big problem, Hoksrud rounds of.
Source: nrk.no / Norway Today