On Dimming the Eiffel Tower

The French government has just publicized its biggest energy conservation measures in decades as part of an effort in Europe to save power as Russia cuts gas supplies.

In short, this means:

• Thermostats turned down to 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) in all public and private buildings. Essentially, everywhere.
• Cooler showers in homes and hotels.
• No hot water flowing in public buildings.
• Increasing car-pooling and bike-riding.
• Cutting all lighting in office and retail buildings after hours, along with illuminated advertising billboards.

And, perhaps most symbolically, the City of Light’s Eiffel Tower will go dark early at 11:45 a.m.

This is all being instituted with the goal of decreasing Europe’s overall dependency on Russian gas—and avoiding the dire prospect of enforced energy rationing or rolling blackouts this winter in chilly urban centers.

But what about the Eiffel?

The historical importance of such a national emblem cannot be overstated. The tower had a role in both World Wars as a symbol of resistance. At the outbreak of World War I, a radio transmitter placed low in the Eiffel jammed German radio communications, which hurt the…