CieloBuio-coordinamento per la protezione del cielo notturno (''Coordination for the protection of the night sky'') is a non-profit organization that operates in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
for the protection of the
night
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends ...
sky by promoting a culture of eco-friendly lighting and raising public awareness about the phenomenon of
light pollution
Light pollution is the presence of unwanted, inappropriate, or excessive use of artificial Visible spectrum, lighting. In a descriptive sense, the term ''light pollution'' refers to the effects of any poorly implemented lighting, during the day ...
.
Created in
Lombardy in 1997 around a mailing-list of people interested in the topic of light pollution, CieloBuio now brings together professional and amateur
astronomers
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either obse ...
, environmentalists, lighting engineers, and simply interested people throughout Italy. The current president is Dr. Fabio Falchi.
In its fight against light pollution, CieloBuio has as a reference model to support and promote the law of the
Lombardy region n. 17/2000, in all its forms and extensions. This law is based on the criterion of ''zero pollution'', according to which, with very few exceptions, no streetlamp can send light above the horizontal plane.
CieloBuio in recent years has played a crucial role in the approval of other regional laws inspired by the Lombard model, among which we mention those in force in the regions of
Emilia-Romagna
egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title ...
(LR 19/03),
Marche (LR 10/02),
Abruzzo ( LR 12/05),
Apulia (LR 15/05),
Umbria
it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, ...
(LR 20/05),
Friuli-Venezia Giulia (LR 15/07) and
Veneto
it, Veneto (man) it, Veneta (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 = ...
(LR 17/09). In addition, the law passed in Lombardy has also inspired the drafting of laws in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
(the first country in the world to enact legislation against light pollution, which applies throughout the country) and in
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
.
CieloBuio works in collaboration with the Italian section of the
International Dark-Sky Association and various scientific organizations to promote a national law protecting the night environment in the whole of Italy.
Bodies
CieloBuio is divided into the following bodies, more or less formal:
* CieloBuio mailing list, an organ of free association of ideas and activities to support actions on the ground;
* CieloBuio non-profit association, legally recognized, bringing together all those who wish to support more effectively the activities of the working groups;
* the governing council, composed of six members and an honorary president, who makes decisions and sets the strategies for action CieloBuio;
* the technical-scientific committee, composed of six experts who research and develop environmentally friendly lighting solutions to offer and promote.
Honours
In 2000, for the fundamental role played in favor of the law against light pollution in Lombardy, the amateur Gruppo Astrofili
Brianza
Brianza (, , lmo, label= Brianzöö dialect, Briànsa) is a geographical, historical and cultural area of Italy, at the foot of the Alps, in the northwest of Lombardy, between Milan and Lake Como.
Geography
Brianza extends from the ...
honored CieloBuio with the dedication of the asteroid
13777 Cielobuio, discovered by members of this alliance at
Sormano
Sormano ( Valassinese lmo, Surman ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northeast of Como. It is part of the mountain community of the Triangolo lariano ...
(
Como
Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.
Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps h ...
, Italy) on October 20, 1998.
In 2003, the European section of the International Dark-Sky Association awarded the president of CieloBuio, Diego Bonata, with the ''Galileo Award'', an award presented annually to individuals or groups that stand out in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
in the fight for the preservation of the darkness of the night sky.
In 2004, CieloBuio was among the winners of the ''Innovazione Amica dell'Ambiente'' (''Environmentally Friendly Innovation'') Award, delivered by the Italian environmentalist organization
Legambiente
Legambiente is an Italian environmentalist association with roots in the anti-nuclear movement that developed in Italy and throughout the Western world in the second half of the '70s. Founded in 1980 as part of the ARCI, it later became a stand-a ...
in recognition of the results obtained in terms of quality of light, energy saving and environmental protection through the application of the regional law n. 17/00 of Lombardy.
References
{{reflist
External links
Official web site of CieloBuio
Astronomy organizations
Environmental organisations based in Italy
+