Downside of Disney's New Movie "UP"

by Dan Presser
(Carmel, CA, 831-622-0800, info@fourwindstravel.com)

It is my hope that Disney adds a piece to its new movie "Up," that advises people not to release helium-filled balloons into the air without the ability to reel them back in.

Here's why. When balloons fall into the ocean they look like jellyfish. Endangered leatherback turtles love to eat jellyfish and sometimes chow down on balloons, mistaking them for their favorite food.

Unfortunately this indigestible rubber glob lodges itself in the turtles' intestines forming, a fatal block. Inside the leatherback's gullet are spines which point downward. This keeps slippery jellyfish from oozing out. It also means leatherbacks can't regurgitate. A deflated rubber balloon has only one way to go, down the throat leading to a dim future for the turtle.

Leatherbacks are beautiful reptiles that can reach one ton at a length of up to eight feet.

I urge Pixar to add a sequel to "Up" showing the beautiful leatherback and telling its audience that they are on the brink of extinction. Balloons are bright, colorful and lively yet they can be deadly.

Barry's Response - A very real concern, Dan. Thanks for bringing that "Up". Another concern is the inspiration that it could provide for people to try tricks of this sort on their own, such as the infamous 1982 lawn chair incident. See this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters.



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