Lights Out

Executive summary by darmansjah

Everything is illuminated? Not in the city of lights. As part of a European effort to improve energy efficiency, Paris has banned overnight lighting of monuments, churches, statues, bridges, and fountains. At 1 a.m. the Eiffel Tower flickers dark. Managing urban light has become a conservation goal. Barcelona uses “intelligent” LED streetlights equipped with timers and motion detectors to cut energy costs. And the Audubon Society sponsors voluntary “Lights Out” night in New York, Boston, and other cities to make North American birds.