This week, the town of Hingham, Mass., held its first Independence Day show using drones set to the music of a live band instead of fireworks. The town is home to a colony of nesting American oystercatchers that have settled on the islands in its harbor in recent years. In order to protect the birds, fireworks are not an option, said Marco Boer, chairman of the Hingham Harbor Development Committee, which organized the event., Firework displays can harm animals and create bursts of pollution with lingering effects, but there are ways to mitigate them., The rockets, explosions and cascading colors of fireworks are a staple of celebrations throughout the world, whether at the Fourth of July, Diwali or New Year’s Eve. But while the clamor of light and sound brings out cheers from revelers, fireworks can cause panic in animals. They also leave behind trails of pollution that take a lingering toll on the environment and people. Here is what to .