LIGHT POLLUTION LAW IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

[Alexei Pace <ap@onvol...>]

PRESS RELEASE -
by the LIGHT POLLUTION AWARENESS GROUP/INTERNATIONAL DARK-SKY ASSOCIATION 
(MALTA)
CONTACT - ALEXEI PACE [coordinator] - TEL..2165 7225/7925 6505

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LIGHT POLLUTION LAW IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC


Government in the Czech Republic, an EU-membership candidate country, has 
just enacted a law with the aim of curbing the increase in light pollution 
and energy waste.

The law, signed on Wednesday by Czech president Vaclav Havel, has been 
modeled on the existing light pollution law of Lombardy, Italy.  The Czech 
law covers also greenhous gases emissions into the atmosphere.  The law is 
intended to enable the Czech Republic to better meet the requirements of 
the tight EU environmental standards as well as Agenda21 and the Kyoto 
treaty.  In addition, like Lombardy and many other regions and countries 
within the EU and throughout the world, it will put a welcome brake to the 
increase in light pollution.

Unfortunately in Malta we have not yet realised this and as such the Light 
Pollution Awareness Group encourages authorities to follow the Czech 
example and introduce exterior lighting legislations.  The increase in 
light pollution in the Maltese Islands over the years has meant that more 
energy and taxpayers' money is wasted and an increase in light 
pollution-related problems is created as a result. Moreover, measurements 
from space by satellites have show how this is already costing us over 
Lm70,000 per year in terms of wasted light.

The Light Pollution Awareness Group is a local section of the International 
Dark-Sky Association and part of the Astronomical Society of Malta.  More 
information on these issues is available at www.darksky.org.