The plight with light (Die Helle Not)

Best Practice

Topics

• Policies and instruments
• Protected areas, New forms of decision-making

Short description

* Project updated on 25 April 2007 according to information from the project contact persons * Start-up was in 2000 when Mr. Peter Huemer, scientist of the zoological department of the Tyrolean Museum Ferdinandeum, had the idea of installing insect-friendly bulbs in public lightening. The project 'Helle Not' addresses a so far neglected environmental problem: the increasing light pollution by artificial lights. Therefore insect-friendly public lamps were installed in 60 Tyrolean municipalities. These lamps have two major benefits: the light protects moths in a better way and the lamps have an energy saving from 30-40%, a win-win situation for economy and ecology.

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Project executive

Tyrolean Museum Ferdinandeum - a lepidoptery research centre with decades of experience in the field of protection for butterflies and moths and numerous regional and international publications on lepidoptery. // Tyrolean Ombudsman for the Environment - an office with a regional agenda in the field of environmental and nature protection in the widest sense.

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Participants

Tyrolean Ombudsman for the Environment (Sigbert Riccabona and Maria Siegl)// Tyrolean State Museums (Peter Huemer and Gerhard Tarmann) // Office of the Viennese Ombudsman for the Environment (Andrea Schnattinger and Wilfried Doppler) // Lichttechnische Gesellschaft Österreichs = Austrian Association for Light Technics (Nikolaus Thiemann) // Österreichische Gesellschaft für Astronomie und Astrophysik = Austrian Association for Astronomy and Astrophysics (Thomas Posch and Heinrich-Peter Himmelbauer) // Umweltbundesamt = Federal Office for environmental protection and environmental control Austria (Marianne Heinrich)

Objectives

The project implements policy aims of nature protection, especially species protection. The public lightning in Tyrol was a bright white light made by mercury vapor high-pressure lamps. This light attracts moths: every year millions of moths die. An alternative is a sodium vapor high-pressure lamp which has a tenfold less attraction to moths. This yellow light is also convenient for people and has a positive impact on road safety (fog). At the same time these lamps spend less energy than other lamps, service costs are also reduced. The additional expenses in the beginning amortise within a few years. The direct objectives of the project are: (1) change the lights into 'yellow' lights to protect endangered moths, (2) energy-conscious use of light e.g. by part-night connection or upper coverage of the lamps to save energy and costs

Activities

(1) There was an initial financial support by the provincial government of Tyrol to help the changeover of public lightnings in 60 (at the beginning 30) municipalities in Tyrol. The selection of these municipalities resulted from nature protection criteria: The financial support was given to municipalities with areas of great ecological value. (2) A folder 'Die Helle Not' was published. There's information about light-technical, economical and biological aspects and there are sample calculations to calculate energy savings. (3) A second print run of the folder gave additional information about astronomy and was published nationwide. (4) Internet.

Process

There is no information available.

Results

The project contributed to a changeover to environmental-friendly lamps in public lightning in Tyrol and other regions (Vorarlberg, South Tyrol, Vienna and municipalities in Germany and Spain). The great political support and the low costs mainly contributed to the project's success. Another result was the brochure for municipalities with instructions and help for implementation of 'yellow lights'. There was also an exhibition and a lot of PR was done, also in schools. The project won the Ford Environment Award. There are several international 'follow up' projects: retrofitting of lights in a car production and a EU-project in Valencia (Spain)

Evaluation

There is no information available.

Difficulties

There were only some minor problems occurring after the implementation phase: The yellow light of the insect-friendly bulbs - causing an unusual 'warm' atmosphere - had to be accepted by all locals. The implementation of the project was unproblematic because of educational work and the win-win-situation. The initial financial support facilitated the implementation and accelerated the proceedings.

Budget

appr. 250.000 (Euro)

Financial backer

Provincial Government of Tyrol (Nature Protection Fund, Department for Environment Protection, Fund for Land Use Planning) // Tyrolean Ombudsman for the Environment // Tyrolean Museum Ferdinandeum // other eight federal states of Autria // Federal Office for environmental protection and environmental control Austria // Vier Pfoten (Association for Animal Protection)

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://www.hellenot.com

Publication

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Project executive as above

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

The impacts in nature and environment are manifold. The new high-pressure sodium bulbs have a high impact on moths and butterflies, also on birds. There is a huge energy saving potential (30-40%) and harmful by-products like mercury waste can be avoided. The 'yellow' light from the high-pressure sodium bulbs is very convenient for humans.

Economic value added

The economic value added can not be quantified. The energy savings of 'yellow' sodium bulbs are 30-40% compared to 'normal' bulbs. The potential of cost saving in the Alps is about many million € per year. The sodium mercury-less bulbs have positive effects on road safety, especially in foggy situations, they have a lower power drop and a less maintenance effort.

Socio-cultural value added

Light is very important in our culture. Excessive artificial light has not only impacts on animals but also impacts on the health of human beings (sleep disorders). A clear and bright starry sky is accessible for only a third of the world's population. The project highlights these problems and contributes to environmental education and public awareness by publications, an exhibition and actions in schools. Interested people and policy makers were contacted individually.

Innovative content

The innovative elements of the project are the synthesis of nature protection and economical aspects and an easily understandable popular brochure.

Good governance

Public lightning is mainly under the responsibility of the municipalities. Some countries do now recommend to change the mercury bulbs into high pressure sodium bulbs. // The population was integrated e.g. by school projects.

PR impact

Press releases and a press conference, local and regional newspapers, title story in the 'Wall Street Journal', regional and national broadcast ORF and ATV. Publication 'Lichtbroschüre' to all municipalities, internet

Multiplier effect / networking

The impacts of the project were published and spread widely to policy makers, stake holders and authorities. Other countries have recommended the measures of the project 'Helle Not' to their municipalities. An important partner is the Ombudsman for the Environment in Vienna and the Federal Office for Environmental Protection and Environmental Control Austria.

Transferability

The project is easily transferable to other municipalities, regions or nations. An EU-project was started in Valencia, Spain.

Remarks

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Further information