An application was launched on Saturday October 15 by the Friends of the Earth association in Marseille, on the occasion of the 14th edition of Jour de la Nuit, a major national event to raise awareness, among other things, of light pollution. This application, called Extinction Nocturne, aims to track down establishments that do not comply with legislation on night lighting.
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“When you walk through the streets of the city at night, you can actually realize that a lot of signs are on. There are street lights, billboards…”, emphasizes on France Bleu Provence Jeanne Hally, member of the Friends of the Earth association. However, she recalls, there is a decree which provides for the prohibition of illuminated advertising between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Friends of the Earth launched this application with the aim of drawing up a map of unnecessary and illegal light sources to communicate to the town hall and the metropolis of Aix-Marseille-Provence. Everyone can download it on their smartphone to participate in this geolocation of these signs or illuminated windows that do not comply with the legislation: banks, clothing stores, real estate agencies, for example.
Anti-waste night safari at #Marseille this Saturday, October 15 organized by @AmisTerre13 and supported by @EELV_Mrs to geolocate sources of light pollution and energy waste using the ✅ Night Extinction app
Meet at 8 p.m. corner Canebière/Saint Ferréol pic.twitter.com/vFH3TZg0Gi— Sebastien Barles (@sebbarles) October 14, 2022
The initiative essentially aims to reserve energy consumption for what is essential: hospitals, on-duty pharmacies or even food shops open at night and to limit energy expenditure. “The night must be returned to the night”, emphasizes Jeanne Hally.
“We can very well send the message that we prefer to have heated swimming pools for the education of our children rather than signs lit at night, which is a useless waste of the resource.”
Jeanne Hally, Friends of the Earthat France Bleu Provence
On September 13, a collective of associations claimed via a forum published on franceinfo, “Mr. President, turn off the screens!”the definitive extinction of digital advertising screens, “an emergency measure, just socially and ecologically”. Since then, distribution, from supermarkets to luxury groups, has undertaken to turn off illuminated signs when stores close and to reduce light intensity by 30% when the public is present and by 50% before arrival. public.
The Christmas lights will be a little less bright, even on the Champs-Élysées. In Paris, as in several large cities such as Lyon and its metropolis, measures have been adopted to extend the nighttime period during which advertising lighting is prohibited.