In a world where the climate crisis is getting worse by the day, every small step that contributes to environmental protection is important.

One of these simple but impactful steps is switching off lights when they are not in use.

In 2013, France imposed a rule that mandated businesses to close their exterior lights and electricity-powered sign boards after 1 am or after their last employee leaves the business premises. However, not all businesses follow this rule and as a result, electricity is wasted.

In a bid to tackle this issue, a group of youngsters in France have started switching off the shop signs that are kept on late into the night even after the business is closed. The youngsters parkour around the streets of France and turn off the ‘interpompier’, a switch that is placed outside the shops and only disconnects the exterior lights of the premises.

Éteignez la lumière !!!!! pic.twitter.com/QXlZonI7bo

— bil le creusois (@bil_le_creusois) July 9, 2022

A video of this fun-looking but the impactful act of the youngsters was posted on social media, where it soon went viral.

It’s not just because of the energy crisis – those lights are a huge source of environmental and visual pollution. We can no longer see the stars at night because of them.

In France, it’s an “interpompier”, a box that only turns off the shop’s illuminated sign! So no problem for the inside of the shop! The law requires (2018) that they turn it off between 1am and 6am. pic.twitter.com/ii2j3Tnupg

How is that vandalism? All they are doing is switching the bill board lights off which is an unnecessary pollution in the best of times and a waste of resource in these trying times. Vandalism is a crime. I can’t see any crime being committed.

— Ocean. L’Océan.۔ بحر۔ سمندر (@zukham) July 11, 2022

The businesses are supposed to not have their lights on between 1 and 6am so no matter what it is, it’s simply enforcing the law

And I am pretty sure it’s because of saving energy

Nobody needs these lights to be on when 95% of people are asleep

— Sebastian Peitsch likes ÖPNV (@SPeitsch) July 11, 2022

Doesn’t Paris have statutes that the lights have to be turned out? So they’re actually enforcing the law?

— Lesley Carhart (@hacks4pancakes) July 11, 2022

I have worked for many years in renewable energy and I know the importance of what they’re doing. The interesting thing in this thread,by mostly men, is that not a single one has pointed out the safety of these lights being on. As a woman, that was the first thing I thought of :(

They’re flicking the disconnect switch for the light, everyone freaking out about them killing power to a building can relax, IT’S A LIGHT SWITCH.

Do you really think enough power to run a building travels through a tiny maybe 20A switch? No, it doesn’t. This is great, relax.

Bored youth summertime vandalism at its best: flicking the switch on businesses that keep their lights on all night in the midst of an energy crisis. https://t.co/EGnlSfu7WF

Commenting on an undated video that showed the youngsters closing the exterior shop lights by manoeuvring jumps and climbs, a Twitter user wrote, “It’s not just because of the energy crisis – those lights are a huge source of environmental and visual pollution. We can no longer see the stars at night because of them.”

Another person wrote, “Bored youth summertime vandalism at its best: flicking the switch on businesses that keep their lights on all night in the midst of an energy crisis.”

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