CBCGDF Proposed 6 Additional Measures on Light Pollution Prevention & Control | Regulations on the Construction of a Model City of Ecological Civilization in Huzhou City (Draft for Review)

Recently, Huzhou Judicial Bureau of Zhejiang Province issued a public notice on soliciting opinions on the "Regulations on the Construction of a Model City of Ecological Civilization in Huzhou City (Draft for Review)", widely soliciting opinions from all walks of life in the society. The China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) responded positively to the call, and put forward 6 recommendations for decision-making reference. The following is [Recommendation 4].

Recommendation 4: It is recommended that the chapter on "Light Pollution Prevention and Control" in Article 21 should be supplemented with six measures: regulating light pollution from outdoor billboards, realizing biodiversity-friendly buildings, reducing reflective materials and promoting low-color-temperature lighting, avoiding lighting toward the night sky, encouraging the participation of residents and enterprises, and establishing an effective monitoring and feedback mechanism. These additional measures will help reduce light pollution more comprehensively and protect the urban environment and ecological balance.

[Analysis] Regarding the policy of "Light Pollution Prevention and Control" in Article 21, although some important measures have been put forward, there are still some deficiencies in this part to deal with the problem of light pollution, and some additional measures are needed.The CBCGDF has set up the Starry Sky Working Committee, which has long been committed to the protection of the dark starry sky and the promotion of the legislation on the prevention and control of light pollution, hereby proposed suggestions as follows.

First, consider strengthening the management of light pollution from outdoor billboards. Neon billboards and LED screens commonly seen in the city often emit strong light at night, affecting the rest and living environment of neighboring residents. Therefore, it is recommended to regulate the brightness and operating hours of billboards to reduce the interference of light pollution on urban residents.

Second, the coastal and lakeside areas of Zhejiang are a must for migratory birds migrating from north to south, and special attention should be paid to the incident of birds hitting glass buildings. Light pollution does not only refer to the reflection; it also includes high-frequency "bird impact" events may bring biodiversity damage. Globally, glass walls kill billions of birds every year, making them an easily overlooked "superbird killer" - building curtain walls with large areas of unobstructed glass can lead to the deaths of wild birds from hitting the glass walls. Therefore, the safety of light pollution management of building curtain walls not only includes the safety of human beings, but also to ensure that the environment/wildlife friendly.

Thirdly, low color temperature lighting and light pollution reduction technologies should be promoted. The use of lower color temperature lighting equipment not only reduces energy consumption, but also reduces blue light radiation, which helps to protect people's visual health. At the same time, urban lighting planning can consider the use of light pollution reduction technology, such as downward-emitting lamps and light covers to reduce the light emitted upward to reduce the scattered light in the air, thereby reducing light pollution.

Fourth, avoid artificial lighting directly toward the sky (to protect the dark night and reduce light pollution in the night sky), and take measures to cover the light. Light pollution not only makes star and astronomical observations difficult, but also interferes with the rhythms of wildlife (e.g., bats, fireflies, migrating birds, etc.), as well as human health (e.g., sleep rhythms) and wastes energy. By directing lighting downwards or using suitable light covers, it is possible to focus and limit light to the areas that need it, reducing unnecessary scattering and floating light, creating a healthier and more sustainable environment, while protecting biodiversity at night and making it more possible for people to "look up at the stars".

Fifth, Residents and businesses should be encouraged to take proactive measures to reduce light pollution. This includes encouraging residents to use shading devices when lighting at night in order to minimize the radiation of light to the outside, and encouraging enterprises to choose environmentally friendly lighting equipment and improve lighting efficiency.

Sixth, Establish an effective monitoring and feedback mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of light pollution prevention policies. Monitoring the level of light pollution in cities, collecting data and conducting assessments can help identify problems in time and take measures to correct them. At the same time, complaint channels should be established so that residents can report light pollution problems so that the relevant authorities can deal with them in a timely manner. For example, an effective feedback mechanism should be established if dead bird carcasses (birds flying at high speeds are killed by reflections from glass facades and crashing into the glass) often appear next to a glass building, and if overly bright outdoor billboards cause disturbances to neighboring residents resting at night ...... Such incidents.

(Please stay tuned for more series of suggestions to follow.)

(Please note this English post is mainly translated by machine. Just FYI.)

 

[References]

1.CBCGDF-BCON Advice on "Management Measures for Safety and Maintenance of Existing Building Curtain Walls in Xi'an (Draft for Comments)": Reduce Light Pollution and Bird Strike Incidents

https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1756866011308128640

2.Lights Out, Let Migratory Birds Go Home Safely - World Migratory Bird Day 2022 Focuses on Light Pollution | UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals Released 

www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4937/19780.html

3. CBCGDF to the Ministry of Housing and Construction: Green Building Evaluation Standard should revise the concept of green building and add biodiversity friendly, light pollution prevention and control

https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/448541077

4. Glow like a fairyland! Encountering beautiful fireflies in Lvduan Mountain, Jiangsu Province.

https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv26748998/

Editor: Samantha

Contact: V10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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