Fireworks suck.

 It's Victoria day in Canada today, the unofficial start of summer here.   This mostly means chillin' with friends, barbeques and fireworks.  The weather was beautiful today and we were having a lovely time until the fireworks started a few hours ago.  I really don't mean to sound like a wet blanket but are they really worth it?  Is it really worth the environmental impact, the noise pollution, the effect it has on animals, and the hundreds of accidents that they cause every year?  For the satisfaction of blowing something up and a few coloured lights in the sky we put aluminum arsenic compounds, barium nitrate, hexachloro benzene, lead dioxide, mercury, nitric oxide, ozone, potassium nitrate and more into our environment.  I know, gross.  Look it up, it gets grosser.  Here and here are a few links to get you started.  The first link has a few great alternatives.  Now excuse me while I go up to settle the kids for the umpteenth time tonight.  Stupid fireworks.