Due to the special location of the Alps, the darkest sky in Central and Western Europe can be observed in many regions over Austria. “That makes Austria unique,” says astrophysicist Stefan Wallner, who works at the University of Vienna, to ORF.at. There are a number of initiatives that work to protect and expand these dark areas, including the Helle Not competence center of the Tyrolean environmental ombudsman and Austria’s first star park Attersee-Traunsee in Upper Austria, recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association.
At the legal level, however, Austria still has some catching up to do. 16 out of 27 EU countries already have direct or indirect laws against light pollution. In Austria, the nature conservation laws, which are a matter for the federal states, are used, the Tyrolean environmental lawyer Johannes Kostenzer refers to ORF.at as expedients to at least indirectly regulate questions of light pollution.
Health Effects
Numbers of increases in light pollution vary. The 2016 World Atlas of Light Pollution put an annual increase of 2.2 percent globally, and six percent for Europe and North America. Several studies demonstrate the harmful effects of too much light on human health and biodiversity.
For example, insects are attracted to street lamps, tire and burn there. This disrupts the entire food chain. Harmful effects on moths, birds and bats have also been repeatedly documented. In humans, the shift in the day-night rhythm can affect health. The suppression of the sleep hormone melatonin, for example, disrupts the natural sleep rhythm. There is a need for action for professionals.
“As soon as possible” topic in the National Council
Wallner describes the recently amended ÖNORM O-1052 as an “important step in the right direction”. Stricter limit values are specified, a distinction is made between natural areas and town centers and the effects of light on people and the environment are taken into account. The standard means a significant tightening of the framework conditions, but is not legally binding, explains Stefanie Pontasch. She is project manager of Skyscape, an EU-funded project to protect and promote the night sky. But legal provisions are needed.
The current ÖVP-Greens coalition was the first government to include the issue of light pollution in its government program. So far, however, little has been done. The Green MP Astrid Rössler now wants to address the issue in the National Council via a petition – “as soon as possible”. The Ministry of Climate Protection did not give ORF.at any information about concrete plans against light pollution.
EU recognizes light pollution as a pollutant
Wallner recalls that there has already been movement in this area over the past two or three years. This is also noticeable at EU level. The “Zero Pollution Action Plan” adopted as part of the “Green Deal” 2021 includes light pollution as a pollutant for the first time and calls for further investigations.
During its EU Council Presidency (until December 31), the Czech Republic acknowledged the importance of light pollution – with an appeal to the EU Commission to regulate light pollution at European level. Pontasch sees this as a “great opportunity”: “In the EU, this topic has so far been neglected.” There are no EU-wide rules for dealing with and curbing the wasteful use of light.
Uniform measurements are missing
“We have to treat light like air,” demands Wallner. There is a comprehensive measuring network for air pollution. This is still missing for light, but is essential for politics and science. A uniform measurement standard is needed across the EU. Even in Austria, where there are two light measurement networks in Upper Austria and Vienna, different systems are used.
It also needs its own satellite that can measure light pollution. Wallner: “The currently used satellite does not recognize any blue light. Data from above by satellites in relation to light pollution is therefore not meaningful.”
Images from space are often used as a basis for research. Over the past two decades, astronauts from the European Space Agency (ESA) have documented the increase in global light pollution in millions of images. With the increased use of LEDs, a clear brightening of the artificial light can be seen in these images. The light pollution in Milan is particularly drastic. The northern Italian city was the first in Europe to switch its street lighting entirely to white LEDs.
Boomerang effect with LED lighting
The conversion to LED partly led to more light pollution. Experts observed a boomerang effect (rebound effect). Since this light source shines even brighter and at the same time consumes less energy, demand increased, especially in times of cheap energy. As a result, potential savings were wiped out.
The light generated by LEDs is comparable to daylight. LEDs with a strong blue component are particularly harmful. As a result, the biological clocks of humans and animals get particularly confused. A distinction between day and night becomes difficult. The blue light component should be regulated, demand experts. Technical developments can also help to reduce light. “With better technology we can reduce light pollution without loss of comfort,” says Kostenzer, whose competence center was involved in a number of lighting innovations.
Rethinking the public sector
A rethinking of the scope of lighting has started primarily with the energy crisis. Monuments and buildings are illuminated more sparsely. Some municipalities and cities have already taken lighting measures beforehand. In 2017, the city of Vienna began converting its street lighting to LED. The roads run by the federal government, such as the Tangente, will not be converted.
The proportion of street lighting is too small to have an impact on light pollution, says astronomer Günther Wuchterl, who has been campaigning against light pollution for years as head of the Kuffner observatory, to ORF.at, but praises the fact that the replaced lamps only go to the ground and don’t shine upwards. In addition, one notices effects such as partial night shutdowns. But Vienna has become whiter, according to the astronomer and criticizes a high proportion of blue light. Above all, the high proportion of light from the advertising and event area is problematic.
Vienna’s light dome visible from afar
Wuchterl carries out the light measurements for the city with some volunteers and the city of Vienna. He observes an annual increase in light pollution in the city of six to 20 percent in the outskirts. The bell of light from cities can spread far. The light from Vienna can be measured at a distance of about 200 kilometers under optimal conditions for light transport, says Wallner.
Wuchterl’s last report from 2020 on the light in Vienna shows that the values have stabilized since 2018. He cannot name any specific reasons for this. He assumes a combination of several effects such as faster dimming of the lighting in supermarkets and parking lots. The data from the past three years are still awaiting evaluation – also due to the pandemic.
pent-up demand for private individuals
Other cities in Austria have also switched to LED lighting. In Innsbruck, for example, sensors are sometimes used to better adapt to lighting requirements. “It’s a tedious job of raising awareness – a lot of door-knocking with mayors and municipal operators,” says Kostenzer, who has been campaigning against light pollution for around 20 years. There is a lot of interest in the public sector. The issue of light pollution and protection against it has also arrived in tourism.
“The private sector is more problematic,” says Kostenzer. There is still a lot of catching up to do when it comes to sports fields, shopping and commercial centers. This is clearly shown by the example of Eisenstadt. The Burgenland state capital achieved a great deal in terms of reducing light pollution by converting the street lighting, according to Wallner: “But private, advertising and industrial lighting have now made up for the reduction.”
