Germany plans to dim nighttime lighting to save insects

德国计划在今年的大部分时间里禁止使用泛光灯以及调暗夜灯，这是其为应对昆虫数量急剧减少制定的新措施的一部分。

A draft law prepared by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment states that insects play a crucial role in ecosystems, and their numbers and diversity have declined severely in Germany in recent years.

The changes proposed in the draft law include stricter controls on the use of lighting and pesticides:

Prohibition of using insect traps outdoors;

For ten months of the year, from dusk to dawn, the use of searchlights and spotlights is prohibited;

Newly installed street lights and other outdoor luminaires must minimize impact on plants, insects, and other animals;

The use of pesticides and herbicides is prohibited within five to ten meters of national parks and major water bodies, while orchards and dry stone walls shall be preserved as natural habitats for insects.

The draft law states that approval from the cabinet is hoped for before October.

It is reported that this proposed reform is part of the German government's broader "Insect Protection Action Plan," which was announced last September.