Monday, July 28, 2008

The balloon question

WE'VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com

The burning question about Thursday night at the Democratic Convention: Will there be a balloon drop after Obama's speech?

An emphasis on environmental friendliness, combined with an outdoor venue, could poke a needle in the traditional balloon drop at the Democratic National Convention this year
...

While acknowledging that balloons are as much a part of political conventions as ballots, Andrea Robinson, the director of Sustainability and Greening for the Denver event, has been using her own compost pile to test the industry claim that the balloons are biodegradable. Meanwhile, managing balloons simply as litter could be a problem, with the convention's climactic fourth day scheduled for Denver's outdoor pro football stadium.

"We've not made a decision yet on balloons," said convention spokesman Damon Young.-Minneapolis/St. Paul Star Tribune.

Of course, one hopes that any balloon drop goes better than it did in 2004: