Light Pollution

This incredible image shows just how much light pollution the western world is wasting.




Scientist Felix Pharand-DeschÍnes created the pictures by using data gathered by satellites to highlight the contrast between the first and third world.

The dazzling constellation is looking down on to the earth instead of the usual mapping of the stars.

While London, Paris, Berlin and Madrid are all burning brightly, poorer areas of the world are virtually in darkness.

Japan is smothered in light, reflecting the country’s energy useage.

America is up in lights, whereas Australia barely registers.

Africa, South America and large swathes of Asia which lie in almost complete darkness.

Each year London consumes 150 thousand gigawatt hours of energy, equal to the consumption of nations such as Portugal and Greece

And for half of the UK’s population, the view of the stars at night is obscured by the glare of light pollution, according to campaigners.