Lights out for environmental protection

Since the beginning of humanity, our lives have been closely interwoven with the course of the sun – our sleep rhythm is based on the natural twilight times and ends with the first light of dawn.
For us, it is natural to turn on artificial light: to read a book, to shop in brightly lit stores, to go to markets or even to take a walk in the evening – to feel safe.

It's hard to imagine what everyday life would be like without these countless light sources. Yet this is exactly how it was for many millennia until humans discovered light. The sun was the only source of light, and the stars and moon served as guides at night: stargazing is also considered one of humanity's oldest sciences!

Artificial light brought freedom and prosperity to humanity. It represents warmth, progress, and goodness, while darkness is often perceived as its opposite. A fascinating transformation that demonstrates how much we have come to value light.

We are capable of intervening more and more deeply into the darkness—both in a positive and negative sense. However, what brings comfort to one person may cause discomfort to another. And, as we all know, the dose makes the poison.

Light pollution or light immission refers to the excessive or improper use of artificial light that disturbs natural darkness, e.g. in street lighting, billboards, lighting of houses, sports facilities, construction sites or other artificial light sources: such as the tradition of over-illumination at Christmas time.
Light pollution includes direct glare from strong light sources, artificial brightening of the night sky, but also disturbance to neighbors within the meaning of the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSCHG).
Here is the definition of Concept of light pollution by the German Bundestag.

Light domes over cities and industrial facilities are visible from afar, brightening the night sky and disturbing both the environment and humans. The term "pollution" refers to the negative impact of these artificial light sources, similar to other forms of environmental pollution.

The pace of light pollution is rapid. More and more artificial light turns night into day and disrupts this vital rhythm:
Life gets out of sync, disrupts ecosystems, and threatens species—including humans, because habitat is reciprocal. Changes in the ecosystem can lead to the extinction of species, which in turn affects other species. But nature needs unlit areas.