Lighting is an essential component of modern life. On the other hand, darkness is perceived often as a negative element: we forget that it is a natural part of the life cycle of many species, and that natural dark skies are not as somber as some say. The misperception of these elements leads to irrational patterns in the use of artificial lighting, with actual impacts on ecology, environment, energy, safety, and health. Interestingly, also the reaction to “too much light” -and the response to light pollution issues- without an interdisciplinary approach may oftenr lead to additional distortions in our appreciation of the issue.

With the BuioMetria Partecipativa project, as an environmental engineer since 2008 I have been organizing outreach events on these topics. The events are aimed at (1) increasing awareness on the use of light, (2) suggesting sustainable practice compared to many cases we can observe daily, and (3) promoting dark sky places.

With a track record of over 130 presentations over the past ten years, at various latitudes and directed to extremely varied audiences (up to 200 participants), I can propose contents tailored to different situations, in Italian, English, and French. The presentations take shape by composing different media, including text, photography, videos, music and installations, often collaborating with other professionals.

The presentations on these topics often have a promotional component for the hosting venues, and may be connected to other animation activities. Last but not least, all the events we organize are advertised via the pibinko.org network, with an extended mailing list, media contacts, and social networks.

Working on this as an environmental engineer and PhD with 25 years of experience in environmental monitoring, I can also interact with other experts on light pollution-related projects.

For more information on this topic, or to arrange a presentation on lighting and darkness write to bmp@pibinko.org