A coalition to protect our nights

The majority of people today would agree that the protection of nature is important. There are many local and global organisations working towards the conservation of habitats, wildlife, or climate. They have been able to raise awareness for the environmental crisis we are facing, and they have worked towards better legislation and policies to protect the environment. Most people have heard about climate change, plastic waste, water and air pollution. Many know that we lose valuable habitats. But how many people know about light pollution and the harms it’s causing to nature?

When I look at the websites of big environmental organisations, light pollution plays only a minor role – if it is mentioned at all. Many people believe light pollution is a problem of astronomers. There is a very good reason for this, because astronomers were the first to do something against light pollution. Today, many people talk about Dark Sky when they think about light pollution mitigation.

But light pollution effects so much more. It effects every living organism, it harms our health, it can be ugly, and it can make moving around at night more dangerous than necessary.

All over Europe there are people and groups who work to raise awareness, research about artificial light, and find ways to use light in a way with less harm for nature and humans. Some want to see the stars, other care about nature, others just want to have a good night of sleep with their blinds open. And some care about good lighting design, about beauty and good visibility, and are aghast about the immense clutter of light that today is found in most cities.

Maybe you are one of them.

An old idea takes wing

For more than 20 years there is the idea to bring together all people in Europe who care about the night. One step is the European Dark Sky Symposium that takes places every two years, but not everyone can travel there. Not everyone knows about it.

What we need is a network to find each other, to exchange ideas and experiences, to plan projects. A network where newcomers can find allies, where researchers can share their findings so campaigners can share them to raise awareness. And a coalition of experts to speak out in a louder voice so we are heard by politics, cities, industry, and the entire society.

Setting up a network means lots of effort and time. There are many things to consider, and it will never be possible to create something perfect. But it’s worth starting it. At the European Dark Sky Symposium this spring in Groningen, we talked again about starting this network. And when Alejandro Sanchez de Miguel looked at me (again), I said “Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll get this thing started. But I need help.”

The very next day I talked to Yana Yakushina and she said: “I want to do that, too.” So, over lunch, we decided to start this network together.

Since then, we have found a small team of people who help us to set up this network. You can find out more of these people on this website (which has been designed by Yana and programmed by our web wizard Christoph Pütz), although you probably know most of them. We have worked quietly on building a foundation for this idea, and now we have reached the moment to invite you to join us.

What are we going to do?

To be honest, we have been asking this ourselves a lot of times. Not because we don’t have any ideas, but because there are so many. The light pollution situation differs between countries. Some countries have well organised groups – some of the Dark Sky chapters – with lots of material, in others a small number of individuals struggle to have the basics to raise awareness. Some European nations and regions have light pollution regulations, other still follow the credo “The brighter the better”.

This means there is lots to do, but also that we already have lots of dedicated, brilliant people working to protect the night. In the first step of the European Light Pollution Coalition, we want to connect as many light pollution actors – night protectors – as possible. Yes, we mean you, too!  We want to make it easier to exchange ideas, knowledge, and experience. We also want to bring people together for events and awareness campaigns and keep you informed about what’s happening.

We then want to find out what is needed in Europe and what is available. We want to establish a collection of information material and create what is missing. Our goal is a list of links and a database to download shared materials.

One of our biggest and most important goals is to connect experts on the different fields of light pollution and become a voice that is heard by politicians and industry in Europe. Many of you have worked to influence regulations, policies, and laws. It is our vision to create statements founded on the expertise of the light pollution experts to push towards the protection of the night. We can also manage this if we combine research data with knowledge from lighting designers, urban planners, engineers, etc. This is why we also want to have many lighting professionals in our network.

This network will be based in Europe but won’t be restricted to it. We welcome people from all over the world to work with us. Our biggest ally is Dark Sky International who works globally against light pollution.

What can you do?

So, you care for the night? You want more naturally dark areas and better lighting design in places where light is needed? No matter if you are a scientist, a lighting designer, a hobby astronomer, a nature conservatist, or simply a person who cares about the night, we invite you to work with us. Everyone can contribute, because together we can achieve more than anyone of us can on their own.

Contact us with your ideas and input. But please be aware that we are a small team of people and at the moment we are all working in our free time, so we can’t do everything. We need people who actively help in this network. We want this network to grow into a strong, diverse coalition for the night. The more people join, the more people work inside it, the stronger and more successful it will be. Yana and I have started the network with our wonderful team, but to create a powerful European Light Pollution Coalition, we need you to work with us. So, check out the information on this website, sign up for our newsletter, and get into contact with us.

Image credits:

Feature image collage of night with trees and stars, Image by Josep Monter Martinez from Pixabay, and handshake, Image by Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay

Brasov, Rumania, at night with skyglow. Photo under CC-BY-SA-3.0 from Wikimedia Commons

Woman underneath starry sky, Image by Greg Rakozy via Unsplash

Team Spririt, Image by Anemone123 from Pixabay