environmental protection

The Environmental Protection Act in Finland defines 'emission,' encompassing light as a form of emission. In this context, 'emission' is characterized as the release, transmission, or departure of matter, energy, noise, vibration, radiation, light, heat, or smell from one or more sources directly or indirectly into the air, water, or soil, resulting from human activities. This law explicitly prohibits or imposes restrictions on light pollution that may be considered environmentally polluting or posing a threat to wildlife and the landscape.

In Chapter 3. Outdoor advertising, Paragraph § 21 explicitly forbids the installation of "illuminated advertisements" in the "open country." This term presumably pertains to rural areas situated away from urban centres, although a specific definition of "open country" is not provided by this law.

The Act aims to mitigate harm to public health and the environment resulting from excessive light radiation. It establishes a framework for the management of artificial lighting to create a healthy and comfortable living environment for citizens. The act outlines the responsibilities of the state and local governments, mandates the establishment of light pollution prevention plans, and designates lighting environment management areas with permissible light radiation standards. It also includes provisions for penalties, fines, and the establishment of committees to oversee the implementation of the light pollution prevention plan.

The presented law establishes a regulatory framework for addressing light pollution in the country, aiming to improve the quality of human life and wildlife by preventing health risks, promoting energy efficiency, ensuring road safety, and avoiding landscape alteration. The law applies to various sources of light pollution, including lighting from sports, industrial, productive, and service activities, as well as outdoor advertising elements and public road lighting. It outlines obligations for different entities, including owners of outdoor advertising elements, electrical energy distribution concessionaires, and owners of sports, industrial, productive, and service activities, and includes provisions for regulatory functions, monitoring, control, and sanctions.

This law aims to restrict light pollution and minimize energy consumption resulting from outdoor lighting.

This law aims to: a) Reduce light and optical pollution, along with associated energy consumption. b) Standardize design criteria to enhance the quality of light in road traffic safety systems. c) Safeguard scientific and public research activities conducted by astronomical observatories from light pollution. d) Protect the natural environment, including territory, the natural rhythms of animal and plant species, and ecological balances inside and outside protected areas from light pollution. e) Preserve the night sky for the entire population. f) Disseminate awareness of light pollution issues and train technicians in the lighting sector. The law recognizes the starry sky as a natural heritage to be conserved and enriched.

In the pursuit of safeguarding environmental values for the sustainable development of the regional community, the Region actively encourages the reduction of light pollution and the associated energy consumption. This initiative is geared towards the preservation and protection of the natural environment, encompassing both designated territories and areas outside protected natural zones. Any alterations of natural lighting levels, particularly the dispersal of artificial light beyond its designated areas, are classified as light pollution. This classification is particularly applicable when the light is oriented above the horizon line.

This law aims to restrict light pollution and minimize energy consumption resulting from external lighting. The objective is to facilitate the advancement of scientific and public research conducted by both public and private astronomical observatories, while also enabling the appreciation of the starry sky as an integral element of the regional landscape heritage. For the purposes of this legislation, light pollution is defined as any artificial light radiation dispersed outside its designated functional areas or directed above the horizon line.

Promotes the reduction of light pollution and associated energy consumption to conserve the natural environment, including territory, the rhythms of animal and plant species, and ecological balances inside and outside protected natural areas. Additionally, it seeks to protect the night sky as a natural heritage, ensuring citizen health and supporting scientific research and outreach activities of astronomical observatories listed in Annex A of this law.

This legislation encompasses regulations with the objective of diminishing light pollution within the Basilicata Region's territory. The rules are designed to adhere to meteorological conditions, ensuring the transparency and stability of the atmosphere. This includes addressing potential humidity issues resulting from elevated water levels or natural and artificial reservoirs. The overarching aim is to safeguard the ecological equilibrium of natural areas and foster scientific research and outreach activities of Astronomical Observatories by protecting the sites housing Astronomical Stations.