5 % lighter and 2 billion tonnes of carbon; The cost of ignoring light pollution

According to RCO News AgencyIn the hustle of the city’s lights, some of the stars are lost between the high towers and the endless streets. The earth, which once was full of surprise to us, is now quiet and quiet on the fence of artificial lights and tired factories.

Every year on the last Saturday of March, the world turns off the lights for an hour; Not to save electricity, but to remember that the land sometimes needs to rest. “Earth Clock” is a symbol of global solidarity to the crisis of climate change; A simple, but meaningful move that indicates that even turning off a lamp can be a start to change.

In Iran, where Nowruz is in the neighborhood of this day with its spring freshness, the Earth’s clock may be less attention. But in the soil, the silent deserts and the starry skies were once the cradle of ancient observers, the light pollution is expanding day by day. Turning off the lights of cities this night is not just a symbolic action; Rather, it is an invitation to reflect on our contribution to preserving this beautiful planet.

Maybe tonight, in the heart of the dark, we can see the stars again …

On Saturday, March 5, it is 5 times that of April 5, on the solar calendar, which coincides with World Earth Clock Day, and according to the representative of the International Dark Sky Association in Iran, this day, although it has fallen over the Nowruz holidays, one billion and 5 million people from 5 countries participate in the event.

Hamed Mirza Khalili, representative of the International Dark Sky Association in Iran in an interview with ISNA, He said: The land clock in Australia has been operating since year 6 with the aim of attracting public opinion for warming, and the main element of this day is to extinguish lights in the cities, and many astronomical activists were accompanied by astronomical activists.

He said that this day coincides with the last Saturday of March, he said: In Iran, this day is coinciding with the Nowruz holidays, and this has caused the events of this day to be well held.

Mirza Khalili, referring to the effects of artificial lights in the field of astronomy, explained: The artificial light of cities is very annoying for observing stars and celestial bodies and reducing the stars; Therefore, since the year when the Milad Tower’s lights in Iran have been extinguished, the astronomers in Iran have been associated with the event, and their concern is that urban lights need to be modified, meaning that in areas where the light is needed, light and light energy are not supposed to go to the sky and illuminate the sky.

He added: “Today, the light of the cities is such that even the 2 to 5 kilometers of cities, the urban elements still illuminate the sky and we cannot see a star.”

The representative of the International Dark Sky Association in Iran noted: In addition, urban lights can change bird migration corridors and can affect wildlife and disrupt the nightlife of animals.

He also added that in the cities the lighting is such that photosynthesis disrupts plants and leads to the late blossoming of the trees on the one hand and the late fall on the other will lead to plants and the life cycle of trees will be disrupted.

Mirzakhili added, therefore, the “Earth Clock” event focuses on raising awareness of climate change and cautious consumption of energy, and in recent years the emphasis has been on further protection of forests, less plastic use and more renewable energy use.

Increased countries participating in an environmental event

The representative of the International Dark Sky Association in Iran, referring to the process of promoting environmental protection in the form of land -based event, said: Since the year started, 5 million from 6,000 cities in the world participated in the event, but by year 1, one billion and 5 million from 6 countries.

He continued: According to world statistics, one and a half billion news of World Earth Clock Activities has been published in the world media and by year 2, 2,800 online and print articles have been published.

Now the unpleasant land because of the CO2

Mirzakhili emphasized that the earth is not good due to carbon dioxide production, saying that polar ice melting has caused dominance to happen to the ground as bad things happen and the solution is to change consumption patterns and less consumerism.

He described some of the problems of the land as urban lights and said: “The 5 % annually, the skies become more bright, due to the misuse of artificial lights, the expansion of cities, and in recent years the use of white LED technology that has been available to everyone and has gradually eliminated yellow lights from the market.”

He explained: White lights are more powerful and less powerful, while they are more technically installed; Therefore, anyone can install several LED white lamps in their home, villa or garden, which makes our sky more brutal annually; That is, light contamination has increased.

The effects of light pollution on the life cycle of animals

The representative of the International Dark Sky Association in Iran, pointing to the widespread effects of optical contamination on the environment, noted: Optical contamination, in addition to affecting astronomers’ research, affects the environment, especially disrupting the rhythm of animals. Example is the life of the worm of the night; The light cream light can be found to find the pair and reproduction up to 2 meters, but with the artificial lights of the insect, this insect is not seen and this affects its life cycle; Because in the event of a dysfunction in the life cycle, their population decreases and with their population declines, fewer birds can feed.

He emphasized that one of the points of this day is the night of attention to the night, noting that we do not mind how we use artificial lights at night and illuminate the wrong areas with artificial lights, while we see white lights available to everyone and are easily used.

Mirzakhili noted: Lighting resources consume one -fifth of the world’s electricity consumption and produce nearly two billion tonnes of carbon annually. This is the equivalent of almost carbon emissions from three -quarters of all light cars and trucks in the world.

The situation of Iran

Mirzakhili said that in the past year, the Milad Tower has been shut down in Iran, adding that in addition to the freedom tower, the bridge of nature was added to the nature of the year, and in Isfahan in the year 2 due to climate change and the drying up of Zayandehrood, the environmental populations performed well.

He added that in the following years other cities of the country joined the event by turning off historical structures, but unfortunately the information is poor, but the banners can be installed alongside the light of lighting, so that Nowruz travelers and residents are not given information because of the day.

The representative of the Dark Sky International Association in Iran, referring to the role of broadcasting programs for this world day, noted: In our country there is only one news release for this day, while in India for four hours of their television networks are dedicated to this issue.

Solutions out of light pollution and saving animals

He described one of the ways to get out of the conditions of light pollution and the rescue of night animals and observation of astronomers at night as creating dark sky parks, explaining: Dark sky parks are large lands in which the rigid laws of dark sky apply, while programs are held for astronomers.

Mirzakhili continued: In these lands, astronomers are assured that one has no light behavior, while animals whose lives are dependent on the darkness of the night are protected in these lands.

He added that there have been about 5 dark sky parks in the world, adding: In the Middle East there are five examples of these parks, the fifth of which have been launched in Saudi Arabia. In Iran, given that it has a large protected park and desert, no step has yet been taken.

According to him