Balloon Stunt Turns Into 'Environmental Disaster'

Once upon a time we were allowed to experience the glee of thousands of balloons floating through the air. We could admire their color, appreciate their beauty as they rose to the sky and wonder at the freedom of flight they represented.

Now? We get shit on by cause groups who believe balloons will be the death toll of our environment. Of course, they have a point and Environmental Defense Fund Senior Scientist Rod Fujita made that very clear to Southern California game company THQ which set loose 10,000 balloons in San Fransisco during the Game Developers Conference.

Fujita told the San Francisco Chronicle, "When I looked out the window and saw thousands of balloons dropping straight into the bay, I was flabbergasted. I never expected to see something like this in San Francisco, where there's such concern about the bay and pollution."

The stunt was created to promote the THQ game Homefront in which the United States is invaded by North Korea. The balloons carried a discount for the game at GameStop. But because of rain and wind, the balloons quickly fell into the bay.

For its part, THQ issued a statement promising the balloons were made of organic materials are are biodegradable. They've also promised to clean up the mess.