China Light: contributing to reducing ocean pollution

It is abundantly clear that our oceans are very important, to ourselves and to every other species on the planet. However, our oceans are threatened by human influence, and the effects of mankind on the world’s waters are widespread. China Light actively strives to reduce the impact humans have on the planet, both by consciously looking at its own activities, and by raising awareness among its many visitors.

Illuminated Ocean

China Light has the ability to make a big ‘splash’, by raising awareness about ocean pollution and encouraging the general public to do their part. A prime example of this was the Illuminated Ocean edition (also called the “Océan en Voie d’Illumination” in French), hosted together with and at the Jardin des Plantes (National Museum of Natural History) in Paris, which is our business partner. During this event, visitors had the opportunity to marvel at ocean creatures such as the great white shark, the killer whale, but also semi-aquatic animals such as the polar bear and the greater flamingo, brought to life in breath-taking lantern art. The event was a great success, with more than 320,000 visitors and overwhelmingly positive reviews. Despite the winter weather, excited spectators queued up for hours to marvel at the ocean creatures, created in light and art by China Light. The French animal enthusiast website Animaux Online wrote: “dozens of creatures will surprise you in this artistic and poetic installation”. The exhibition’s powerful message did not go unnoticed, as Light ZOOM Lumière, a French company and media platform wrote: “This Festival of Lights offers an illuminated walk that invites you to wander. The consciousness of animals is brought to life by China Light by the display of biodiversity. It is important to preserve the flora and fauna for future generations.”

The importance of our oceans

Our planet’s oceans cover about 71 % of the Earth’s surface and 90 % of the Earth’s biosphere. They are immeasurably important to the health of our planet, and all the species inhabiting it. It is safe to say that without the ocean, we would not exist and could not continue to exist. Sadly, the ocean is threatened by Mankind. Humans are taxing this planet and its oceans too much, and this has certainly not gone unnoticed by China Light. We see it as our responsibility to not only take steps to reduce our own ecological footprint, but also to increase the awareness of the public about Mankind’s effect on the ocean and its bountiful species. As our events have the potential to reach many people – visitors, organisations, companies and institutions – we feel we should use that potential to have a positive impact on the Earth, the environment, the oceans and the wildlife inhabiting them.

Sustainability

It is the opinion of China Light that in order to make the world a better place, one should look to oneself and start making the change there. As the organisation works with many materials, we try to do this as sustainably as possible. Our lanterns are made of durable fabrics, instead of plastics. Moreover, the lanterns we make are reused several times, and we try reach out to more and more partners, so that we have more events where we can display our creations. China Light also has a sister company in the USA, with which it shares materials. This allows us to give our lanterns as much lifetime as possible, so that we can reduce the waste material our events produce. The colourful displays of light are made possible by LED lighting, which is very efficient and uses relatively little electricity. And part of the revenue China Light makes with its events is donated to charity, including environmental protection.

Illuminated species

Another event organised by China Light which attempted to raise awareness about Mankind’s influence on our Earth’s biosphere, was the Illuminated Species edition (“Espèces en Voie d’Illumination”), also in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Here, the scope of focus was drawn more broadly: in addition to many endangered ocean species, such as the blue whale, animals from other habitats were also featured, like tigers and pandas. The exhibition even featured species long gone extinct, such as woolly mammoths and dinosaurs. As the festival was particularly well-attended, China Light once more had the opportunity to influence many people, hopefully changing their views and behaviours, and making a positive impact on the effect of humans on the planet. The event was equally successful in terms of impressing local media and businesses. Light ZOOM Lumière wrote: “the walk through the zoo of the Jardin des Plantes let you discover the diversity of the animal kingdom. It presented emblematic species like the panda, the elephant or the giraffe”.

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