Romano Corradi
Director of the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC)
I fully share ESO's concern about the development of a massive industrial project so close to the Paranal Observatory in Chile. Although I do not have the details of the possible effects, it seems obvious that such a large complex would affect with its light pollution in a very negative way, one of the most important qualities of the site, which is the darkness of the night sky that allows us to observe the faintest objects in the universe.
Cerro Paranal is home to what I consider to be the most technologically advanced telescopes currently in operation, where some of the most important discoveries in the field of astrophysics are made, and which are the main resource for observational astronomy in Europe. The construction of the industrial complex nearby is likely to do irreparable damage to the quality of the science that can be done at this observatory.
In general, we know that there are not many places left in the world with the dark and other climatic conditions necessary to do cutting-edge science in the field of observational astrophysics. Light pollution is a global effect and it is therefore essential to protect sites as important as Paranal, as well as those of the other major observatories.
In Spain we have been pioneers in the defence of dark skies, with the first sky protection law in the world. This law gives us some legal protection but does not allow us to lower our guard and, therefore, we constantly monitor the evolution of artificial outdoor night-time lighting. But in other parts of the world the legislation does not exist or is not as strict. It is a recurrent threat, as now seems to be the case in Paranal, and this is why initiatives such as the one by the Starlight Foundation of the Canary Islands, promoter of night sky protection in Spain and internationally recognised, to create a new Sustainable Development Goal for the Quality of the sky and access to starlight (SDG, Sustainable Development Goal 18) are very important.