[Svetlo]Light pollution begins to decline in Czechia (fwd)

[Jan Hollan]

(ta priloha neni prilozena, je ale k dispozici jako 
 http://amper.ped.muni.cz/light/images/brno_panorama/boby_bJun8.jpg
 -- moc vymluvna neni, na rozdil od toho snimku z Ondrejova, ktery jsem
si dovolil dat do stejneho adresare)

Usoudili jsme, ze bude lepsi, uvadet zatim jen pozitivni priklady. At maji
cas se rozmyslet, ze budou zakon respektovat dobrovolne, a ze se to
koneckoncu i pozitivne odrazi v prizni verejnosti.  Pro mnohe to muze byt
prilis nove tema, ktere nemusi hned tak chapat.

Nize uvedenou zpravu lze chapat jako predlohu ceske tiskove zpravy -- radi
pridame dalsi dobry priklad, pokud o nejakem vite nebo nejaky rychle 
s nekym domluvite a date vedet Pavlovi Suchanovi. O dalsich lze samozrejme
informovat zase nekdy priste.

zdravi Jenik

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 21:43:45 +0200 (CEST)
From: Jan Hollan <jhollanAamper....muni.cz>
To: my LP contacts in media:  ;
Cc: RLGent1Aaol..., Thomas Posch <poschAastro....ac.at>
Subject: Light pollution begins to decline in Czechia (fwd)

Dear journalists, 

who have helped us so much in the education concerning the outdoor
lighting: Yves Miserey wrote a large article in Le Figaro, Monday June 3
(p. 13) and asked me to inform his colleague about any changes since the
Czech Clean Air Act came into effect. Perhaps you could be interested as
well, so I fw you the message.

with best regards,
 Jenik

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 8 Jun 2002 20:23:36 +0200 (CEST)
From: Jan Hollan <jhollanAamper....muni.cz>
To: fnodelangloisAlefigaro...
Subject: Light pollution begins to decline in Czechia

Dear Sir,

I am happy to announce some positive changes in our country since June 1. 

The Clean Air Act (effective from that date) is a huge law and not many
people are well acquainted with it. Especially, prevention of the light
pollution is something really new for almost everybody.

In spite there is not a possibility to enforce anything yet, explaining
people what they could (and should) avoid may help. 

 From a couple of institutions we have contacted in the past days, two
responded already by stopping the pollution they have produced before. I'm
sure another will follow. The list of them will appear an be updated on
our lighting-education pages:
                    http://www.astro.cz/darksky

  Skybeamer off 

The first one has been a major entertainment centre in Brno, called Boby
Centrum (http://www.bobycentrum.cz), a hotel and congress centre as well.
Just three weeks ago they have installed a strong skybeamer at the roof,
being misinformed by the provider that the Clean Air Act won't become
effective before September and being asked by the disco operator to
attract customers this way.  When I noticed its operation Monday evening
(seeing how it illuminates the air over the whole Brno basin), phoned
there in Tuesday and informed them that such an activity is a prime
example of light pollution, which should be avoided by everybody, they
have decided to stop using the skybeamer forever after Friday, June 7, in
spite it has been paid for already three months ahead...

It is an excellent example of private business obeying the law without
being forced to. Brno night environment reclaimed its quiet character once
again, Brno citizens are not frightened by curious light changes behind
their windows, birds are not misled by strong beams of light and the
visitors of our observatory can enjoy the remnants of starry heavens the
standard Brno streetlights leave us to see. 


  Cemetery dark again

A second case I know is from Vsetin, a town at east border of Czechia. The
local lighting utility agreed that illuminating the local cemetery all the
night through, when it is closed, is not needed at all. So they switched
the lighting off for the whole summer (perhaps some illumination till 6
p.m. will be used in winter). It has been illuminated before on behalf of
a popular view that light will prevent thieves from going there. If
anything will, it's the darkness... A dark cemetery during the night will
help restoring wildlife there, as churchyards are its very important
refugia in urbanised areas. Just they have not to be lit like prison
yards.


with kind regards,
 Jenik Hollan, IDA Czech Republic

PS. 
 the attachment is a view of a part of Brno from our Observatory with the
skybeamer at Boby Centrum still in operation on June 3/4