At the start of the Tamil school holidays, we organised a very interesting workshop. Rachel, a volunteer from France, a girl very expressive and friendly, offered a stunning morning to all the children, told stories about the nature, about animals, taught how to make flowers, playing the saxophone, the guitar and much more!!
And guess what?
We did all this with environmentally friendly and recyclable balloons.
These balloons are made with latex, this material is a 100 per cent natural substance that breaks down both in sunlight and water. The degradation process begins almost immediately. Oxidation, the “frosting” that makes latex balloons look as if they are losing their colour, is one of the first signs of the process. Exposure to sunlight quickens the process, but natural microorganisms attack natural rubber, even in the dark.
Research shows that under similar environmental conditions, latex balloons will biodegrade at about the same rate as a leaf from an oak tree. The actual total degradation time will vary depending the precise conditions.
Rubber trees, from which the latex for balloons is harvested, are one of the main forms of vegetation in tropical rain forests, which in recent years have become crucial to maintaining the earth’s fragile ecological balance. Harvesting latex can be more profitable to poor third world nations than raising cattle on the deforested land.
Even when the trees producing latex for balloon manufacturing grow on plantations instead of in rain forests, they help the ecosystem, as the natural biology of the trees helps maintain our atmosphere and protect the ozone layer.
Was amazing to see the kids so happy, so astonished and surprised with all the creativity that Rachel demonstrated. They had a lot of fun, learned to build flowers with balloons too, and all the eyes were shinning, the mouths were open, the atmosphere was of pure bliss and joy. One day that nobody will forget, the proof that life is full of magic.
