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Franz-Josef Hölker/Frank Raudszus: Die Konzentration in der Energiewirtschaft. Kritik der Ordnungspolitik im Energiesektor der Bundesrepublik. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt/New York 1985, 202 Seiten, 38 DM

Every city dweller is aware that we are seeing fewer stars at night due to the increasing amount of artificial lighting. But that is just the tip of the iceberg, as far as the loss of natural nocturnal darkness is concerned. Humans and animals worldwide are now suffering from the disrupted rhythm of day and night due to extreme lighting at night. In humans this can lead to illness and increased stress. Hitherto only known to experts, this book is the first to comprehensively treat the entire phenomenon of light pollution. Richly illustrated using unusual images taken from the TV documentation "The Dark Side of Light" by Anja Freyhoff and Thomas Uhlmann, this book is for anyone interested in a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature and a healthy work/life rhythm.

In this pilot study, microplastic beads (5–50 μm) were tagged with fluorescent dye and introduced to the soil of pottedBetula pendula Roth. (silver birch) saplings during the growing season. After five months, root samples were examined using fluorescence- and confocal laser scanning microscopy. This paper presents the first documented indication of the incorporation of microplastic into root tissues of woody plants and discusses the phytoremediation potential of birch in soil with microplastic contamination. ; This research was carried out in the context of the creation of the multi- media interdisciplinary project Stranger to the Trees by Kat Austen. The project was realised within the framework of the European Media Art Plat- form's EMARE program at WRO Art Center with support of the Creative Europe Culture Programme of the European Union (Programme sector European Platforms, grant number 591572_PlatEMAP_2018-21), and de- veloped with thanks to the DIY Hack the Panke community. The work in this paper is partly funded by the H2020 project ACTION (grant number 824603). The authors would like to thank Dr. Frithjof Glowinski and Prof. Dr. Matthias Rillig for their advice and Prof. Dr. Susanne Liebner from GFZ Potsdam for granting access to her laboratories.

Ypacaraí Lake is the most renowned lake in landlocked Paraguay and a major source of drinking and irrigation water for neighbouring towns. Beyond its socioeconomic and cultural significance, it has great ecological importance, supporting a rich biodiversity. Rapid growth of human presence and activities within its basin has led to its environmental degradation, a heartfelt matter of high political concern that compels intervention. Here, by reconstructing the history of scientific and management-oriented research on this system, we provide a comprehensive assessment of current knowledge and practice to which we contribute our recent, novel findings. An upward trend in total phosphorus concentration confirms ongoing eutrophication of an already eutrophic system, evidenced by consistently high values of trophic state indices. Downward trends in water transparency and chlorophyll-a concentration support the hypothesis that primary production in this lake is fundamentally light limited. Statistical and other analyses suggest high sensitivity of the system to hydraulic, hydro-morphological and hydro-meteorological alterations arising, respectively, from engineering interventions, land use and climate change. By discussing knowledge gaps, opportunities for research and challenges for management and restoration, we argue that this case is of high scientific value and that its study can advance theoretical understanding of shallow subtropical lakes. View Full-Text

Road lighting is a service provided at night, mainly to ensure the secure and safe passage of humans. However, lighting at night can have adverse effects on insects or ecosystems, which are not yet considered in planning. Here, we introduce a comprehensive approach for the design and implementation of a novel insect-friendly road luminaire. The lighting design provides an optimized radiation geometry that avoids emissions at the trajectory height of insects, reduces the attraction of insects and the fragmentation of their habitats, and at the same time provides adequate night-time illumination in residential areas. The effects of the new design on insect behavior and night sky brightness will be evaluated two years before and two years after the change of the road luminaires and additionally in a direct comparison, as some luminaires of the old design will remain as controls. Citizen scientists are involved in the identification of insects and the measurement of night sky brightness. A broad public engagement program also highlights discussions about the competing interests of different stakeholders in lighting design, explicitly including the effects of illumination on insect fauna and biodiversity. ; The project "Species Protection through Environmentally Friendly Lighting" with the run- ning title "Tatort Streetlight" is funded by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) within the framework of the Federal Program for Biological Diversity with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU; FKZ: 3518685A-H08). Citizen science activities are supported by the project EU ACTION, a project that received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under grant agreement number 824603. The illustrations have been provided by funds from the ECOSLIGHT "Environ- mentally Conscious Smart Lighting" project, funded by the European Erasmus Sector Skill Alliance Program (agreement number 612658-EPP-1-2019-1-EL-EPPKA2-SSA). ...

Ypacaraí Lake is the most renowned lake in landlocked Paraguay and a major source of drinking and irrigation water for neighbouring towns. Beyond its socioeconomic and cultural significance, it has great ecological importance, supporting a rich biodiversity. Rapid growth of human presence and activities within its basin has led to its environmental degradation, a heartfelt matter of high political concern that compels intervention. Here, by reconstructing the history of scientific and management-oriented research on this system, we provide a comprehensive assessment of current knowledge and practice to which we contribute our recent, novel findings. An upward trend in total phosphorus concentration confirms ongoing eutrophication of an already eutrophic system, evidenced by consistently high values of trophic state indices. Downward trends in water transparency and chlorophyll-a concentration support the hypothesis that primary production in this lake is fundamentally light limited. Statistical and other analyses suggest high sensitivity of the system to hydraulic, hydro-morphological and hydro-meteorological alterations arising, respectively, from engineering interventions, land use and climate change. By discussing knowledge gaps, opportunities for research and challenges for management and restoration, we argue that this case is of high scientific value and that its study can advance theoretical understanding of shallow subtropical lakes.