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 of plants in spring and autumn leaf-coloring. This is one of 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 of 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.