Fireworks on the face of them might seem like an innocuous thing. But the more prevalent they become in our society the more they need to be considered. And they seem to be increasingly prevalent.

My feelings about fireworks have really shifted over the years. As ones feeling on things may often do as life experiences and knowledge gained will often impact our thoughts on a given topic. My personal experiences and the way I think about life have changed over the years and that has impacted how I feel about fireworks.

When I was growing up fireworks were reserved almost exclusively for Fourth of July holiday celebrations and a few other very important celebrations. At least that was the presence they made in my life. And in that way they were much more innocuous and mostly invisible and much more special than they are now.

Now fireworks are becoming increasingly ubiquitous. Especially where I live in New York. Growing up possessing and using fireworks in NY was illegal for the average joe like me. But at some point the state decided making fireworks legal would be a good idea. And now you can see them everywhere and hear them constantly, especially as the weather warms up.

Aesthetically fireworks are beautiful. And they make great photography subjects. They make beautiful interesting and creative images that are challenging to create and take time and effort.

Over the years my values and beliefs have changed and shifted. And I try to live a life in accordance with those beliefs and values as much as I can. Much of my photography is about promoting the love of and protection of wildlife and the environment. And the continued use fireworks feels like it is counter to those beliefs.

Fireworks are dirty. Next time you watch a fireworks display, pay attention to how much smoke I in the air during a display. Fireworks are often launched over water. This is done because it is beautiful, and there is no denying that. But what about the consequences? The debris from each rocket and explosion is likely to fall into the water. Just on the street I live on we can drive down the road and see places people have launched fireworks from and just left all the garbage behind on the side of the road.

I have watched fireworks displays where nearby trees have been set on fire. With the looming climate change disaster and pretty much constant wildfires raging in parts of North America at all times it seems ill advised to be increasing the risk of fires simply for our own pleasure.

Then there is the noise to think about. Noise from fireworks can range from a mere annoyance to near deafening. Somewhere around 40% of homes in the United States include a dog. Many dogs do not like the loud noises of fireworks. And the noise can cause many affects on dogs including frightening them enough that they run away.

As a dog owner I have witnessed this first hand. We once thought it was a good idea to take our dog to watch a fireworks display with us. After that they were never the same during the noise of fireworks.

Knowing how fireworks can affect dogs, I am sure that they are not a pleasant experience for wildlife of all sorts either. Perhaps, this is something we should take into consideration when we decide whether or not to set of fireworks.

Then there is the concern for our fellow humans. Many humans are sensitive to loud sounds for various reasons. The experience for some of our fellow humans may be uncomfortable, painful, or even traumatizing.

I hope if nothing else we can turn to silent fireworks displays. There really is no need for all the noise. It does not add to the beauty of the display at all and often detracts from it.

These days I rarely photograph or even watch fireworks displays. If we know there is one going on locally we choose to stay home with out pets to make sure that they are safe and secure. I hope those are the kinds of decisions we all can make for our environment, the wildlife, and our fellow humans when it comes to fireworks.

This was not the article I thought I would write when I decided to write about fireworks. But it was the message I felt compelled to share. I hope we all can be more conscious of the consequences of our actions as we enjoy the beauty of fireworks in the future.