It’s not even the Fourth of July, and already I’ve had my fill of fireworks.

My neighborhood began setting them off in late June, creating the kind of pop and crackle that lights up platforms like Nextdoor with endless posts and debate about “were those firecrackers or gunshots?”

This time of year, as well as Christmas, New Year’s Eve and those precious moments our sports teams actually win, it’s always fireworks. And I’m over it.

For many, watching the sky light up amid thunderous booms is one of the core memories of childhood. I share that same nostalgia: Setting up lawn chairs, necks craned toward the sky, delighting in all the dazzling designs and colors. Lighting the fuse on a bottle rocket and running for cover, all 10 fingers fortunately still intact.

But maybe it’s because I’m older now and value a good night’s sleep – or because I’ve come to understand just how detrimental fireworks are to our environment,

© USA TODAY