Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Dark Sky Awareness
An overview on the contributors of light pollution and its affects.
A Tale of Two PaintingsVincent 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
• Science • Beauty and wonder• Local Ecology• Health and Safety• Economics• culture
• Solutions to issues
• 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/lightpol-astro.html
The Bortle ScaleCreated in 2001 by John Bortle, amateur astronomer.
• 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/111959684.html
Health and Safety(apparently, criminals need light too!)
a
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/lightpol-security.html#LPAidsCrime
Economics • Why we care: There is a great financial cost due to light pollution.
See a sample chart of bulb types and their costs.
•
• 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 OptionsDownward 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 differenceBob 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://www.globeatnight.org/
http://www.windows2universe.org/citizen_science/starcount/index.html
http://hms.sternhell.at/hms.php?lang=English&country=Worldwide&page=pages/main#null
Materials available from the International Dark sky Association
Brochures, practical guides and other ways to become involved…
htt p://darksky.org/
An excerpt from Cloudy Nights Light Pollution Forum Guidelines
• “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• 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
