ATS
The third edition of “La nuit est belle!”, an action that consists of symbolically turning off the lights in Greater Geneva for one night, will this year have energy sobriety as its red thread. In total, 181 municipalities out of the 209 in the region have indicated that they will not turn on their public lighting on September 23.
The RTS tower, Geneva airport, several international organizations and dozens of businesses will also plunge into darkness once the sun has set. More than 60 activities will be set up, including observation of the sky or meals by candlelight, the Greater Geneva association said on Wednesday.
Symbolic extinction of an evening originally, “the night is beautiful!” succeeded in convincing public authorities to change their public lighting practices. Many are now aware of the benefits of reducing light pollution on health and biodiversity, not to mention the savings made.
From now on, more than a third of the municipalities of Geneva and its region turn off their lighting daily or significantly reduce its light intensity in the middle of the night, explains in a press release the Franco-Valdo-Geneva conurbation. In the French Genevois, the proportion is even two-thirds.
The region’s electricity suppliers, namely the Geneva Industrial Services (SIG), the Ain Intermunicipal Energy and E-communication Syndicate (SIEA), the Energy and Digital Development Syndicate of Haute-Savoie (SYANE) as well as the IS of Nyon are partners of “the night is beautiful!”.
This action also allows the population to rediscover the beauty of the night sky. February 23 is the day of the autumnal equinox, with 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. At sunset, if the sky is clear, the Milky Way will extend perpendicularly from the horizon, forming a huge arch.
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