By: Jingxian Li
As an overseas student stranded in China due to the pandemic, I have to talk about a custom of Chinese New Year —— which is to set off fireworks.
Setting off fireworks to celebrate the Spring Festival is a popular Chinese tradition, as it is believed that a brilliant light of fireworks and the sound of firecrackers crackling can dispel evil and avoid disasters. In addition, people pray for good wishes when the fireworks burst.
This year is no exception. On New Year’s Eve, I heard firecrackers everywhere. When I went out of the house, I found the sky filled with smoke after setting off the fireworks. Elders stated that they could feel the atmosphere of the New Year through this event, however, I can’t help but think about the effects of fireworks on our environment despite them bringing us the flavor of the New Year.
First of all, the most obvious side-effect caused by setting off fireworks is noise pollution. When it comes to New Year’s Eve, explosions caused by fireworks continue to be heard until the early hours of the morning. In addition, the decibel in the area of firecrackers is far beyond the limits of human tolerance.
Secondly, the smoke produced by firecrackers contains high amounts of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and so on. These fumes not only have serious consequences for the environment, such as acid rain, but also have adverse consequences for human health.
Fortunately, now the Chinese government has put forward some related policies on setting off fireworks to reduce the setting off and the impact. As a younger generation, we also need to come up with ways to celebrate the New Year, because we don’t want to let our environment suffer serious damage while experiencing the flavor of the New Year.
The UW Radicle 