* 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.
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.
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)
