Vienna to Switch Off Lights for ‘Earth Night’

Vienna to Switch Off Lights for ‘Earth Night’

Vienna’s Rathaus during Earth Hour in 2015. Photo: ©REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader

 

Vienna’s public lighting will be partially switched off on Friday night for Earth Night, an annual event aimed at reducing light pollution.

The effect lights on the Danube Canal bridges, as well as the façade lighting on the City Hall (Rathaus), will be turned off after dark in solidarity with the initiative, which originated in Germany in 2020.

Unlike Earth Hour, a global campaign led by the World Wildlife Fund that encourages participants to reduce or switch off lighting for an hour every March, Earth Night calls for a complete blackout of lights for the entire night.

Research suggests that light pollution has a considerable impact on flora and fauna. Insects, birds, and bats do better when they aren’t confused by artificial lighting, according to the NGO Umweltberatung (Eco Counselling). “The less lighting at night, the better it is for both animals and humans,” Umweltberatung researcher Melanie Frauendienst told ORF.

Around two-thirds of Vienna is illuminated by public lighting at night, primarily for safety, but also for aesthetic purposes.

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