Light relief for northerners

17.04.32: A SYSTEM of giant mirrors floating in space is bringing daylight to people enduring lengthy midwinter darkness in cities in the Arctic Circle.

Lack of daylight during the long winter months is linked to high suicide rates and widespread depression in many northern regions.

A fleet of giant mirrors has been assembled in space to reflect sunlight on to cities on Earth.

'We will be able to create near-daylight conditions at a time of year when the sun rarely rises above the horizon,' said a spokesman for the Scandinavian energy consortium that is co-ordinating the project.

The 60-metre-diameter mirrors, which alleviate the symptoms of SAD (seasonal affective disorder), are the result of experiments that began in Russia in the late 20th century. They can also be used to provide emergency lighting for rescuers attending a night-time disaster.

But not everyone is in favour. Environmentalists argue that the mirrors will increase light pollution and disorient the living world by interfering with seasonal patterns. SC