News headlines about a Labour council banning fireworks to avoid upsetting baby pandas are certainly eye-catching. It’s true that Edinburgh city council has banned fireworks in nine neighbourhoods between Halloween and November 9, after the death of a baby red panda and its mother in Edinburgh Zoo last year were linked to the din of fireworks.

The Edinburgh bans are an overdue acknowledgement of the long-term consequences of short-term thrills

But it’s also true that Edinburgh originally banned fireworks in four areas in August last year, months before the pandas met their maker. The council has now voted to extend the bans in those areas and introduce a set of bans in five new areas, including where the zoo is based.

Besides, the new bans were introduced after local residents were invi

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