La nuit est belle !
Picture this. The night is soothing. You hear the buzz of fireflies and the serene whooshing sound of the breeze. You lift your head, and you see thousands of twinkling stars in the sky. Beautiful, isn’t it?
With the dawn of the industrial revolution, the earth has been exposed to a massive amount of artificial light in the form of fireworks, streetlights, and any other light from motor vehicles, buildings, boats, and the list goes on. The carbon dioxide emission and plastic use of those impact the fauna and flora by disrupting their migration patterns or the biodiversity rhythm. This, in turn, degrades natural habitats and may be detrimental to the health.
In September 2019, Greater Geneva launched the event “La nuit est belle!” to bring back the dark sky. Founded and organized by Greater Geneva, the Museum of Natural History of Geneva, the Geneva Astronomy Society, and the House of Salève, this event is an initiative against light pollution.
“La nuit est belle” takes a festive note as it tries to reunite people to enjoy the natural nocturnal light. At the same time, it sensibilises people about the destructive impacts of excessive artificial light. The number of participants each year keeps increasing, showing that people are now more aware than ever of the type of pollution being addressed. It began with 152 towns of Greater Geneva switching off the outdoor public lights for one night. For the second edition in May 2021, more than 180 towns participated!
This year, for the first time, the villages of Chamonix are taking part to support the cause. At the Hameau Albert 1er, we will be turning off all the outdoor lights for a night.
We invite you to be part of this event on Friday 23rd of September and to turn off your lights as from 8pm to 11pm. Together, let’s save energy, admire the natural glow of the stars, and protect the nocturnal biodiversity.
