Regensburg joins in: Earth Night takes a stand against light pollution

Regensburg joins in: Earth Night takes a stand against light pollution

On Friday, September 6th, 2024, there will be a special night in Regensburg: Earth Night. From 10 p.m. onwards, the city will be asked to turn off the lights or at least reduce them significantly. This is not to be confused with Earth Hour, which occurs in March and lasts just one hour. Earth Night is about raising awareness of the problem of light pollution throughout the night. Light pollution means that excessive artificial lighting disrupts the darkness of the night, which has negative effects on people, animals and the environment.

The “Godfathers of the Night” initiative launched this campaign to raise awareness of the responsible use of light. Light pollution can disrupt the behavior of nocturnal animals and also impacts insect populations. In Regensburg, as in previous years, the city administration will turn off the lighting on municipal buildings to send a signal.

Call for participation

In order to make Earth Night successful, citizens are required. Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer and Mayor Ludwig Artinger are calling on everyone to take part in this campaign. “Take a stand against light pollution and get involved,” said the two city leaders. They emphasize that responsible use of light and energy consumption is of great importance in times of climate change and rising energy prices.

The city of Regensburg hopes that many people and companies will take part in Earth Night. “Give the world an almost natural dark night!” they appeal. Further information about Earth Night can be found on the websites of the city of Regensburg and the Earth Night Initiative.

For anyone interested in learning more about Earth Night, the following links are available: www.regensburg.de/leben/umwelt/lichtpollution and www.earth-night.info/.