Focus on light pollution and the Cévennes National Park’s RICE label (DSP)

‘Working in close collaboration with the wider region, from the Hérault – particularly Montpellier – to the nearby Pyrenees as part of the ‘Star Reserve’ initiative’, the park enables this unique protected area to expand a little each day, which is a positive development.

‘Light pollution is indeed everyone’s business. It is a national and global issue,’ explains Carole Reboul, a photographer who, in her book Il était une fois la nuit (Once Upon a Time, the Night), offers ‘a vibrant, aesthetic and reasoned plea for the preservation of the night’.

Partnerships to ensure the RICE label

The Cévennes National Park also works in close partnership with ‘the Lozère electricity unions (SDEE 48), the Gard (SMEG) and the local authorities under direct management’, signing, in this context, ‘an agreement to coordinate their actions to improve the quality of street lighting, raise awareness amongst elected representatives and the public about the impacts of artificial light, and collectively support the RICE project (RSP)’.
 

The harmful effects of light pollution

Harmful to biodiversity, light pollution clearly affects ‘many nocturnal animal species… estimated at 30 per cent of vertebrates and 65 per cent of invertebrates: behavioural changes, disruption of biological rhythms, changes in interactions between individuals, competition and predation processes, and alterations to the balance of ecosystems’ – the list goes on.

For plants, the harmful effects are also numerous because, although light is necessary for their healthy development, plants ‘need periods of darkness. A plant exposed to continuous light becomes stressed and is likely to develop diseases…, or have its biological rhythm altered…’.

Carole Reboul adds that ‘we are all affected by the negative effects of light pollution. Nocturnal animals (birds of prey, glow-worms…) are perfectly adapted to the night and need true darkness to communicate, move about, hunt and reproduce. Diurnal animals, for their part, use the night to rest. Plants and trees, too, need both day and night for photosynthesis, to develop and grow, just as they need the rhythm of the seasons.

It has been found that plants and trees exposed to light pollution all year round in parks and botanical gardens that are open in the evening do not thrive as well; their growth is disrupted by a rhythm they do not recognise. They start flowering too early in spring and retain their leaves later into autumn. Their cycle is completely disrupted.’

And what about humans? 

We, too, are extremely ‘sensitive to artificial light at night’. Whilst ‘the alternation of day and night governs the secretion of certain hormones, such as melatonin, it also regulates biological rhythms. Any change in the periods of light exposure will lead to a disruption in these secretions’.

‘But there are many initiatives taking place on a day-to-day basis and in our region,’ says Carole Reboul. ‘For example, let’s mention the significant work being done by the Alès urban area. For years, the local council has been making efforts to tackle lighting deemed unnecessary. In the town centre, of course, such as those streetlights with downward-facing light, but also on the outskirts where the large shopping centres are located. There, the illuminated signs have been switched off and night has reclaimed its place, without any impact on safety.’

The starry sky and tourism: an asset?

The quality of the night-time landscapes is an undeniable tourist asset. Various events and themed activities are organised by the tourist offices and the Cévennes National Park, along with training courses and even specialised holidays such as La tête dans les étoiles (Head in the Stars) by the Azimut Voyage agency, bearing the Esprit Parc National label. Among the many participating associations are A3C – the Association of Amateur Astronomers in the Cévennes – and L’Etoile Cévenole.

At national level, it is worth mentioning ‘Le Jour de la Nuit’ (Night Day), an ‘awareness campaign on light pollution and the protection of nocturnal biodiversity and the starry sky, created in 2008, coordinated by Agir pour l’Environnement (an association founded in 1997) and supported by numerous national partners’ (Want to find out more? Find all the information by clicking on Destination Cévennes National Park).

Talks and conferences

In her talks, photographer Carole Reboul encourages her audience to take an interest in – and, above all, to reflect on – the phenomenon of light pollution. She asks them to learn to ‘rediscover the night and the richness of the night sky. I never tire of pointing out that any light disturbing the twilight creates immense stress in the streets of our towns and villages – car headlights, the coloured fairy lights that prettily decorate our gardens come evening, or solar-powered lamps, the streetlights that illuminate our streets, and so on – but also in our countryside. Today, it is clear that light is everywhere, creating a halo above urban centres and industrial hubs, but also in parks that remain open at night to offer a different perspective on the surroundings. Whilst schoolchildren are often open to change, adults, on the other hand, are often uncertain and can be difficult to convince that a change in our way of life is necessary. I believe it is time to review our roadmap and consider giving the night the place it deserves, for the benefit of everyone – both people and nature. The subject is open to discussion, to convince people of the merits of respecting darkness.’

Many thanks to the photographers Carole Reboul, who also provided the photographs illustrating this article, and Gilles Guillot for their contribution to this piece.

​​​​​​​The photographer Carole Reboul, ‘a lover of macro photography, landscapes and night skies, champions the fight against light pollution. Among her published photography books, Il était une fois la nuit (Editions de la Salamandre) is particularly noteworthy: ‘a window onto a dreamlike world that must be preserved: the night. Today, how many of us are still lucky enough to be able to gaze upon a starry sky? Through photographs imbued with poetry, accompanied by rich and accessible texts, the author presents a vibrant, aesthetic and reasoned plea for the preservation of the night.’

Also worth reading is the photo book Nuits des Cévennes (Cévennes' nights), available from the Cévennes National Park’s online shop.

For those who would like to spend the night under a starry sky, follow this link for all the relevant information (Carole Reboul also collaborates with the Lozère department as part of the ‘Starry Sky of Lozère’ initiative, ‘from the Aubrac to the Gorges du Tarn, in Margeride or anywhere else in the department’, alongside the Agir pour l’environnement association, mentioned above, and the CAUE (Council for Architecture, Urban Planning and the Environment) of Nîmes).

Further information, sources: Cévennes National Park (don’t miss the exhibition ‘Au cœur de la Nuit’ (In the heart of the night) at the Biosphera Cévennes Valleys Interpretation Centre), Lozère Tourism. To find out how to reduce outdoor lighting at home in order to protect plant and animal species, follow all the advice from the OFB (Office français de la biodiversité).