Crackle, Pop, Smoke:
Fireworks in Parks and Their Consequence

Fireworks are symbols of victory, innovation, and celebration. They carry wishes, world records, and wonder over the dozens of generations since their invention over 2,000 years ago. Today, it is tradition to set off fireworks at the scale of their celebrations, and the upcoming 250th anniversary of America is no exception.

Firework shells are essentially mini-cannonballs; inside their decorative casings, explosives and hazardous chemical pellets are packed in, ignited by a fuse burning to the center when the shell reaches the right altitude. When these chemicals react, they release a number of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides. Along with these emissions are heavy metals, which dissolve both in the air and waterways.

The explosion from shell casings can cause irreparable hearing damage, and the ensuing noise pollution has been proven to damage local wildlife. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), fireworks generate 150-175 decibels, louder than a jet engine. The World Health Organization recommends adults avoid exposure above 140dB and children above 120dB. These explosions, which are often released nonstop during showtimes, are at decibels that can cause permanent hearing damage in under one second.

Currently, no federal agency has jurisdiction to limit fireworks decibel levels at public displays in the United States. The Noise Control Act of 1972 established a national policy against noise that “jeopardizes health and welfare”, but Congress defunded it in 1981. In the same vein, the Fireworks for Freedom Act (H.R. 8593) was introduced in Congress specifically to waive certain environmental regulations for the America 250 fireworks display.

But the environmental consequences of fireworks extend far beyond backyard or family celebrations. As fireworks have become a nightly attraction at world-famous destinations, theme parks, and even national parks, their impacts have shifted from occasional disturbances to chronic sources of pollution. Where nature’s jewels are celebrated as wonders of the world, tourism commercialization has made them into sites of nightly pollution. Where families go to celebrate childlike wonder with animal-friendly princesses, fireworks drive away the wildlife that was already there.

Fireworks in Parks

As of 2024, the Niagara Falls State Park drives almost 23% of Niagara County’s total workforce and generates over $60 million in local taxes. Each year, 9 million visitors bask in the glory of 750,000 gallons of water per second over the cliffs of the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls.

But in the months of May to October, another attraction beguiles your senses—every night, a 5-minute fireworks show is put on, along with powerful LED beams that extend from hotel rooftops to the mountainsides. Based on industry standards of 100–400 shells per minute, Niagara’s nightly five-minute show could release between 500 and 1,000 firework shells each night. At the conservative end, that’s approximately 75,000 shells across the 150-night season from May 15 to Oct. 12. In the state of New York, professional fireworks are separately licensed and largely unaffected by consumer restrictions. So even though the state permits only non-aerial, non-explosive consumer fireworks, the same regulations don’t apply for Niagara’s flashy nightly exhibit.

These numbers may seem big, but they are consistent with other nightly shows. Disney World Magic Kingdom’s “Happily Ever After” show runs every night in the year with a few exceptions. Around 650 shells are used per show, with each night costing almost $50,000. Stacked up over a year, that equates to over 200,000 shells, or about 88,000 pounds of CO2-equivalent released by one Disneyland show alone every year.

Realistically, the environmental consequences of amusement and national parks’ nightly pyrotechnics are inconsequential by industry standards—the carbon emissions released by Disneyland’s “Happily Ever After” spectacular make up only 0.07% of the United State’s combined national total.

Harms to Wildlife

Before the commercialization, tourism development, and nightly fireworks shows, Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario were home to over 1,250 species across the Niagara River corridor, including more than 300 bird species, 53 mammals, and 36 reptiles. Now, 65 of those species are at risk.

While the link between fireworks and biodiversity loss isn’t supported by hard research, a lack of research doesn’t necessarily equate to lack of truth. Studies across 88 bird species document mass panic flights, nest abandonment, and disorientation from fireworks noise. According to radar studies, over 1,000 times more birds are in flight on fireworks nights than normal nights. These disturbance effects have been found to persist up to 10 kilometers away and take 3-10 days to normalize. While no research has been published on the prolonged wildlife stress since 1994 when the fireworks shows started, the detrimental consequences on local species are undeniable.

Firework Pollution

From noise and air pollution alone, a single fireworks display can spike local PM2.5 particulate matter levels up by 42%, surpassing World Health Organization safe air quality limits for days afterwards. Any household with a pet dog knows that animals aren’t naturally adapted to loud consecutive sounds. It causes a prolonged activation of their fight-or-flight instinct, and the same goes for humans. Studies have shown that in areas with heavy noise pollution, even for a few days, participants show increased hypertension, a condition linked to neurological and cardiovascular diseases.

For the 250th anniversary of America, officials are pulling out all the stops, including the largest planned fireworks show in recorded history. Over 851,000 fireworks are planned to be set off on July 4 on the National Mall alone, accompanied by over 14,000 shows nationwide. The National Mall’s show will use around 286,00 pounds of pyrotechnic material and emit over 154,000lbs of CO2-equivalent, more than Disneyland Magic Kingdom’s entire annual output in one night.

Firework Alternatives

Firework shows started as a tourist attraction because they reliably kept visitors longer and spending more money. Nightly shows were a strategy pioneered by Disneyland in 1956, one year after the park opened, and later adopted by destinations like Niagara Falls in 1994. But as economies are shifting towards green technology on a global scale, it’s also time we consider retiring outdated practices. To save costs, Disneyland has pivoted from excessive fireworks by using LED lights projected onto the iconic Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

• Other alternatives to fireworks shows can include:
• Drone light shows
• Laser projections
• Bioluminescent displays
• Synchronized LED installations

 

Disney has partnered with Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop more “sustainable” fireworks; nitrogen-based, virtually soot-free fireworks could replace traditional gunpowder components with tetrazole and tetrazine derivatives. A German manufacturer, Weco, has used 100% biodegradable materials, and Chorlton Fireworks, based in the UK, has used nitrogen-based fuels in efforts to decrease fireworks-induced emissions.

Not unlike many traditions tied to nostalgia, fireworks will be mourned. The dazzling lights and the crackling pops will be more myth than reality for future generations. But what the landscape regains is harmony with wildlife. Pets live undisturbed, and children uncover their ears. As with every sacrifice, every depression will meet its crest and every valley its peak. As worries of climate loom closer and closer, mindsets need to be changed to give up temporary enjoyments for prolonged longevity of ourselves, future generations, and the wildlife that predates and will outlive societies.

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Coco Zhang

Coco Wang-Xinyue Zhang is a student at Duke Kunshan University studying Environmental Policy. Originally from Las Vegas, her passion for the environment started with water conservation and designing ocean-safe plastic straws for a middle school competition. Using her experiences in teaching and community organizations, her studies focus on comparisons of education and urban infrastructure in the U.S. and China. Coco is Chief Sustainability Officer and President of Sustainable DKU, Duke Kunshan University’s leading student environmental engagement organization.