I HEARD an advertisement on the radio for the event Real Love Works 2009, at the Marina Barrage last Saturday.
While I applaud the organiser, Marriage Central, on its efforts to promote longevity of marriage in Singapore, I would like to ask if it is truly necessary to mass-release 'love balloons' as part of the event.
While hundreds of balloons flying off into the sky may be a pretty sight, people need to remember that the balloons do not just vanish or vaporise. Once they burst or deflate, they come back down to earth. While latex balloons are biodegradable in the long run, in the short run, they are nothing but litter and pollution.
As the Marina Barrage is at the water's edge, the balloons that end up in the sea are eaten by dolphins, turtles, sharks and other sea life. They can cause serious problems in these creatures' digestive systems, resulting in pain and sometimes death.
Ingestion of too much latex can cause the sea creatures to become too buoyant. As a result, they will not be able to dive into the sea to hunt for food, and they will starve. Ribbons and strings that are often tied to these balloons are not biodegradable and can cause entanglement and even strangulation.
Balloons that end up on land also result in litter problems. In fact, the mass release of balloons is so problematic, it is illegal in some states in the United States.
By all means, celebrate marriage and long-term commitment. But please do so in an ecologically considerate way, without causing harm to the natural environment.
Sheri Kristen Goh (Ms)
More links
More about how mass balloon release kills and efforts to ban releases on the wild shores of singapore blog.
One-stop marriage portal
Ang Yiying, Straits Times 19 Mar 09;
PLAY Scrabble using only loving words. Share a sausage from opposite ends. Give a bottle of tabasco with a note 'U R HOT!'
These are some of the '365 tips for love to work' available on marriagecentral.sg launched on Thursday.
The website by Marriage Central bills itself as a one-stop portal for marriage-related information and programmes.
The organisation, which was started by the National Family Council in 2008 and supported by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, is also partnering voluntary welfare organisations that offer pre-marital and marital counselling.
Its website targets web-savvy couples who are contemplating marriage, newly-weds and those who have been married for some time.
It is divided into three sections – When I fall in love, It takes two and Eternal Flame – to cater to couples in different stages of their relationships.
Said Marriage Central Executive Director Christopher Ang: “It reinforces the whole marriage eco-system. We take care of those planning marriage, those beginning marriage and those who have been married for a while."
Couples can find suggestions for romantic dates, get advice for relationship problems by emailing experts, read stories about real-life loving couples, sign up for marriage preparation or marriage enrichment courses, or pre-marital and marital counselling, among other things.
Ms Anita Fam, who chairs Marriage Central’s 11-member advisory board, said the organisation will be establishing physical points where marriage-related information will be offered. At least one spot will be ready by end of the year.
Marriage Central will also be holding a series of activities under its tagline, Real Love Works, from Saturday. Over 1,000 couples will set off thousands of heart-shaped balloons at the city reservoir, Marina Barrage on that day. A marriage convention will also be held on March 28 and 29 for the public.
For more information, go to www.marriagecentral.sg
1,000 couples reaffirm love and commitment at Marina Barrage event
Channel NewsAsia 22 Mar 09;
SINGAPORE : Some 1,000 couples did not let the heavy rain on Saturday evening stop them from reaffirming their love and commitment.
The heavens cleared just in time for the event held at the Marina Barrage.
Organisers of Real Love Works Marriage Central said it is a celebration which aims to highlight the importance of the understanding and effort that is required to make a marriage work.
As a symbol of their soaring love, a thousand balloons were released into the sky.
But that is not all. Proving that small doses of love can lead to something big, the participants also set a new Singapore record for the largest heart formation made with a collection of love notes. — CNA/ms