Finally someone considers the ecological impact of the fireworks competition: I've wondered on and off for years about this. Clouds of fine particles, containing various chemicals used to create the different colours, drift after the shows and have been shown to afflict people with breathing difficulties. There are alternative methods of launching fireworks that cut down these effects, but they're expensive. Despite this, the fireworks displays remain eternally popular with a public that hasn't wearied of the free shows since their inception in 1985, and they do help generate revenue for many. posted at 11:53