What is Noche Zero, and why did you set it up?
The idea was an initiative to make everybody aware of the value of the night, connecting different professional approaches. A lot of mistakes have been made in lighting our cities since the 1950s that still haven’t been put right. The light was designed for the car, and we keep thinking of lighting as something for cars and not for people.
We wanted to make a better future for our cities. So we brought together scientists, astronomers, regulators and other people involved in thinking about light. The first event was held in October 2012. The idea was to talk about human health, about the environment and about the culture of our cities.
We held the event in the Atacama, so that people could see what they were missing in terms of enjoying the night and the stars. It’s very special and very beautiful, close to the best observatories on earth.