Czechs protest Polish greenhouse over light pollution
The critics say light pollution from the greenhouse risks the future of a rare dark-sky reserve declared in the area, harms the environment and denies people a proper sleep. On the other hand, it creates much-needed jobs.
Members of the Czech Astronomical Society were the first to complain after their measurements confirmed what anyone can see, especially on cloudy nights, that this new installation produces intense light.
"This greenhouse is something completely new for us," astronomer Martin Gembec said on a recent night. He was on a hill about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the greenhouse, which is on the edge of the Polish town of Bogatynia, next to a coal-fired power plant and a big open-pit brown coal mine.
"We have never seen anything like that and we are honestly shocked by it. It shines like a big city of a 100,000 people," Gembec said.
The regional government has asked the Polish ambassador to Prague and the Czech ambassador to Warsaw for help, while the issue was high on the agenda of last week's meeting of the environment ministers of the two countries in the Polish capital.
"We will try to find a solution," said Jacek Krzeminski, spokesman for Poland's Environment Ministry.
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