Transcript Dark Sky Awareness

A Tale of Two Paintings
Vincent Van Gogh: A Starry Night
Saint Rémy, June 1889 Post-Impressionism
Giacomo Balla: Street Light
Italy, 1909 Futurism
Overview
(Sources by Florida Atlantic University,
Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition, and the International Dark
Sky Association)
• That which is
affected by
light pollution
• Solutions to
issues
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Science
Beauty and wonder
Local Ecology
Health and Safety
Economics
culture
Lighting options
Model lighting ordinances
Community involvement
Dark Sky Campaigns
Science
• Why we care:
The night sky has
contributed to how human civilization has evolved
through science; from the time of antiquity,
through the Scientific Revolution of the 1500’s, to
the modern age.
• We owe it to ourselves to preserve what has been
crucial in the development of science; including,
but not limited to astronomy, mathematics,
agriculture, and celestial navigation.
Beauty and Wonder
• Why we care: We are in danger of
losing our view of the heavens and
our ability to enjoy and pursue
astronomy. (Our local Farrout
Observatory observing site has
significant light domes from Tampa,
Zephyrhills and Lakeland)
• http://physics.fau.edu/observatory/lig
htpol-astro.html
The Bortle Scale
Created in 2001 by John Bortle, amateur astronomer.
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Class 9 – Inner City Sky (“Look! The star is out!”)
Class 7 - Suburban/Urban Transition
Class 5 – Suburban Sky
Class 3 – Rural Sky (some evidence of light
pollution evident on the horizon)
• Class 2 – Truly Dark Site. (The sky around the
stars is black.)
• Class 1 - Milky Way casts shadows on the ground
Ecology
• Why we care: Light pollution in our area affects
migration, feeding, growth, and reproduction
patterns of plants and animals.
• Examples:
• Artificial night lighting disrupts the physiology and behavior of
nocturnal animals.
• Turtle hatchlings emerge at night from their eggs and head for the
ocean, lights from hotels and other sources can lead them off
course. Turtles often die of exposure or fall victim to hungry
predators.
• Birds are attracted to towers with lights and, while circling or
hovering in large numbers, often collide fatally with the structures
or with each other.
• Leaf and stem growth in deciduous trees tend to be disrupted by
unnatural light.
“Humans are animals as well, and there’s no
reason to give ourselves any higher level in the
ranking than everything else. And so when
light/dark cycles mess up seasonal patterns of
trees or breeding cycles of amphibians, which I
think is quite well established, there’s no reason
to think it’s not doing the same to us.”
Steven Lockley PhD. Associate Professor of
Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Neuroscientist, Division of Sleep and Circadian
Disorders, (2011)
Health and Safety
• Why we Care: There is a correlation
between air pollution and light pollution.
• Nitrate radical (NO3), a compound destroyed by sunlight, builds up in the
darkened sky. As city dwellers sleep, it neutralizes some of the nitrogen
oxides (NOx) that foul the daytime air and lead to wheeze-inducing levels
of ozone (O3).
nitrate radicals are being destroyed by light beamed into the sky by
outdoor lighting on the ground.
• http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/1
11959684.html
a
Health and Safety
(apparently, criminals need light too!)
Health and Safety
Conclusion: Increased lighting did not deter crime,
but rather, it increased it!!!
Health and Safety
Glare leads to an increase in crime
(take a look at the photo demonstration at the link below.
• http://physics.fau.edu/observatory/lightpolsecurity.html#LPAidsCrime
Economics
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Why we care: There is a great financial cost due to light
pollution. See a sample chart of bulb types and their costs.
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• http://physics.fau.edu/observatory/
lightpol-econ.html
Culture
• Why we care: Think of how much
the night sky has played into our
cultural ideals, mythology, lore,
and superstitions.
Tampa Light
Pollution Map
Perhaps it’s time
to think about
resolving these
issues in our
area before the
colors on this
map begin to
become brighter.
Solution: Lighting Options
Downward or shielded lighting rather than “Glare
Bombs” or up lighting
BAD!
Good!
It Takes a Village…
* Self education and awareness.
*Speak with local community leaders, police,
and media about lighting issues.
*Plan events and campaigns.
For improved lighting ordinances, dark sky
campaigns, and community involvement,
Flagstaff Arizona, is a model for dark sky
awareness.
Making a difference
Bob Crelin: Branford Connecticut
• A clever preaddressed,
preprinted postcard for
anyone to easily send a
message to lawmakers
about light pollution.
• Additional information
sheets with facts and
examples.
• Presentation to the
local planning/zoning
board or committee.
Key Points of Branford's Lighting Law
*Promotes full-cutoff (fully shielded) fixtures for most
uses. These direct all light below horizontal, not
sideways or up.
*Discourages floodlighting and unshielded wallpacks.
*Disallows uplighting of buildings and signs.
*Nonessential lighting must be off after business
hours.
Other Dark Sky Campaigns
How Many Stars, Great Worldwide Star Count, Globe At Night: Three International
citizen-science campaigns to raise dark sky awareness where hundreds of thousands
from around the world have participated each year by submitting an evaluation of
the level of light pollution in their local areas. Great for introducing kids to this idea!
http://hms.sternhell.at/hms.php?lang=English&country=W
orldwide&page=pages/main#null
http://www.windows2universe.
org/citizen_science/starcount/i
ndex.html
http://www.globeatnight.org/
An excerpt from Cloudy Nights Light Pollution Forum
Guidelines
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“There truly are safety, health, and environmental reasons to use "dark sky
friendly" lighting. We can help people to understand this, and to make the right
decision ON THEIR OWN about choosing a dark sky friendly attitude/way of life.
But we musn't coerce, threaten, be belligerent, heated or forceful. We musn't
come across as judgemental or self-righteous. And we should NOT tell people what
to do - we should let them make their own decision based on the information at
hand. The old proverb comes to mind - you can lead a horse to water, but you
cannot make him drink.”
“These street lights, porch lights, business signs, billboards and vehicle lights are
widespread and these infrastructures are monolithic in nature - they have been
around for generations now, long before light pollution was fully understood or
even forseen. Changing how the streets, homes, and businesses of America are
lighted is a major undertaking and one that will not happen quickly or without
drama.
Credits
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www.darksky.org
http://hms.sternhell.at/hms.php?lang=English&country=Worldwide&page=pages/main#null
http://www.windows2universe.org/citizen_science/starcount/index.html
http://www.globeatnight.org
http://physics.fau.edu/observatory/lightpol-econ.html
http://physics.fau.edu/observatory/lightpol-security.html#LPAidsCrime
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/111959684.html
www.cloudynights.com