Granada hosts an international meeting to address the problem of light pollution as part of the Spanish presidency of the EU

Light pollution, which originates from the inappropriate use of artificial light, is an environmental problem with a direct impact on the balance of ecosystems, on astronomical observations and on our health. It is also a huge waste of energy and limits the experience of enjoying the starry skies. The Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC), through its Sky Quality Office, hosts this week an international meeting to address this problem within the agenda of meetings of the Ministry of Science and Innovation that are part of the presidency Spanish EU.

"This is an environmental problem with a strong social component. Its origin and solution lie in our deep-rooted beliefs that associate artificial light with wealth, well-being or happiness", says Alicia Pelegrina (IAA-CSIC), head of the meeting's local organising committee.

The aim of the meeting is to generate a space for meeting and discussion between experts in the fields of the environment and physics, in order to analyse the need to monitor this environmental problem and to be able to offer solutions. An event which, in the words of Antxon Alberdi, director of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, "shows the commitment that we at the IAA have been demonstrating in the defence of the protection of the quality of the dark sky".

This meeting follows the one held in Brno, in December 2022, when the Czech Republic held the presidency of the EU. "On this occasion the meeting will address a series of aspects of great interest and that need a response from the scientific community, such as the need to standardize the monitoring of light pollution, the use of different tools, both terrestrial and remote sensing, or the requirements for the development of models that allow their monitoring”, says Alejandro Sánchez (UCM) and head of the scientific committee of this meeting.

The event will be held on November 14 and 15, in the conference room of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia.