Blinded by the light—the difficulty of addressing environmental problems even after solutions are found

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Humans had technological know-how to significantly reduce light pollution since at least the 1940s. Yet the total light emissions keep rising.  Christopher Kyba’s most recent research addresses this non-solved environmental problem. The environmental externality exists primarily because the underlying problem is social. A lesson learned: human behaviour and human action of many uninformed actors often unintentionally make things worse.

About the speaker

Dr. Christopher KybaChristopher Kyba is a researcher at the German Research Center for Geoscience (GFZ). His research assesses how artificial light in the night influences the environment. The main focus is on what types of sources are responsible for light emissions and the skyglow produced by cities, and how emissions are changing over time. He holds PhD in Experimental Particle Physics at the University of Pennsylvania. Chris has been awarded several prizes for science slamming.

Join the 3E lecture with Christopher Kyba

Triple 3E Lectures

Ecology, Energy and Environment (Triple E) are three of the major themes of our time which encompass the key challenges regarding our planet’s future. The Triple E lectures are a monthly cross-disciplinary lecture series where globally renowned and inspiring thinkers and scientists are invited. 

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