How ‘stars’ are helping the French keep the night sky dark

Enlarge (credit: Pete Starman / Getty Images )

There’s been a steady stream of worries that artificial lights are steadily eroding our ability to see the stars. And a recent essay published in Science describes how artificial light affects the timing of events such as greening associated with plants in spring and autumn leaf-coloring. This is one regarding the many recent studies that demonstrate the direct or indirect impact of light pollution on plants and animals.

“People are getting aware that darkness is no [longer] darkness. This is one involving the elements that is contributing especially to the decline in the species variety as well as the decline of biodiversity, ” says Jacques Falcón, research emeritus at the French Scientific Research Centre (CNRS).

Now, thanks to a voluntary program in France, more communities are taking steps to limit light pollution.