Under One Sky 2024
Online conference – 8 – 9 November / 9 – 10 November (Aus time)
Dark Sky International (DSI)
Speakers and notes ….
Opening presentation
1. Nalayini Davies, Vice-President Dark Sky International, New Zealand. (Photo below left), credit DSI)
2. Tom Reinert, President, DSI, USA
In outreach, talk less about light pollution and more about solutions centred on …
.. Smart lighting
.. Responsible lighting
.. Sustainable lighting – the long-term impact of lighting – using resources wisely and efficiently.
3. Ruskin Hartley, CEO —- excellent / good presentation with great graphics.
Glare is a scourge
Doubling light pollution every 8 years at current rate – it is now out of control
Day / night is a fundamental cycle of all life that is being disrupted at an unprecedented rate.
We all need natural darkness
We’re all healthier under a starry night sky.
We need day / night cycles for basic rhythms of life to be lived as designed / intended.
Responsible lighting is natural lighting
If we’ve …
- Got one minute – pull the curtain
- Got one hour – replace a light fitting
- Got more time – join a community to educate for change
Unite to Protect the Night.
Make friends, not enemies – no one sets out in the morning to pollute the night sky, but it is often a result of our uninformed actions.
- Leigh Ann Henion, Author, Night Magic ….. vv good presentation
Also author of Phenomenal: adventures search for wonders in the natural world.
Turning off light can help …
Remove what is a disturbance to nature and provide a sanctuary for wildlife who need darkness as a natural part of the dark/night cycle i.e. for nocturnal animals this is especially important.
Consider Moon Gardens – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_garden
Darkness is a connector that can bring people together.
How to create a community, an invitation, to invite others into the darkness and marvel at the natural nightness …
– a place of discovery
– a close encounter with the natural night
– think about darkness as a friend rather than a foe
– darkness is important for nature since it provides an ‘avenue’ for pollinators and other creatures.
> Engage our curiosity about the night sky through things like guided walks, and become acquainted with what darkness has to offer and how it can be a meaningful encounter with not only the sky night, but also on the ground species that live in tree hollows for example …
Note to MHCS – Leigh Ann Henion perhaps to visit NZ – we could connect with Nalayini Davies re co-sponsor to NZ and Australia.
Discussion session .. open forum … 6 in this group … no moderator …
- Bill Kowalik – DarkSky Oregon – got grant from travel / tourism industry to assist with raising awareness – good idea to educate real estate industry re moving into night sky neighbourhoods. Animation series, 30 sec broadcast on local tv channel – see on YouTube @ DarkSky Oregon DarkSky Oregon @DarkSkyOregon 5 videos org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgIPX0tFaILmjxfPGKIh4CA Some states have ordinances of one month before an event and there needs to be shut off / down time e.g. 10.30-11.00pm by use of timers as good neighbourly respect and courtesy. Talk up have a stargazing experience to emphasis darkness. Also try a Night Sky Astro-photography event or exhibition
- Joseph Bissonette – Colorado – has produced a night sky view tent (camping) with transparent sides – has distributed flyers via mail system – Sky View Tents | LinkedIn
- Bailee Allen – Utah – can see Milky Way but now realised many people can’t
- Mark Grosz – Pensylvania – we need good codes – best practice to mitigate disputes of light trespass.
- Nicole Rose – DarkSky Int. Finance Officer – located on island off Vancouver, Canada – creates events to celebrate the darkness
- Stuart Carter – Munibung Hill, UNS Place project proposed, NSW, Australia. – dark sky stamps for kids, and peel/rub off tattoos to get children involved.
Astro Tourism
- Samyukta Manikumar, Kenya
Dark Sky tourism and conservation. Sustainable Tourism guidelines – tourism that … and now DSI has produced Principles of Responsible Astrotourism. Astro-sketching is another opportunity that is outside the norm i.e. in addition to astro-photography, for those who are not into cameras and technology. - David Mitchell, Missouri State University – part of Missouri Dark Sky Team for 20 years – how to make dark sky attractive and economical. To turn a Dark (Night) Sky Place into an advantage for accommodation or food outlets, etc. That is help small business to exist in local communities.
- Duncan Wise, Northumberland National Park – UK – Northumberland International Dark Sky Park – has an observatory attracting 20k visitors per year. Destination management uses Dark Sky as an attractant, a bait to draw people to the area. This has led to producing training program around the Dark Sky theme. Star eyes logo graphic used in presentation. The Stonehaugh Observatory is a volunteer built and operated facility. We need regional tourism which goes beyond sustainable in that it embraces Dark Sky guidelines rather than just existing principles set by industry, etc. Does this enhance the people and species that live there? If yes, then go for it, If no, then those businesses and agencies need to think again. Duncan is an advisor to lighting design and never has had an objection to the alternative products proposed during a project. Day sky gazing – we need to remind people that our nearest star is the Sun – not that we want them to look directly at the sun, but we need to appreciate that the cosmos is all around us all the time, night and day. Eleanor Muller, Capetown, South Africa. – Opening poem – beautiful. We need to think and act in terms of the 24 hour chronology of the cycle of life. Not just the day, but include the night.
We need to check again to see if that outdoor light fixture is dark night friendly. Poor lighting denies us all the opportunities to truly experience darkness and silence and nature and our connection with awe.
Regional session – Australia and South East Asia
Moderator – Jhoug-Fu Huang – Taiwan
- Carol Redford, Australia – Astro-tourism WA – 0427 554 035. Local government staff can often change at CEO level and requires re-education – also bringing along community people / leadership and general public. Education is an ongoing activity – needs to be at the heart of all our programs – target school teachers and adult educators for example, since they have a wide reach, touching many people at a time. Carol has focused a lot on street lights and also opportunities for the mining industry to be good corporate citizens by in the first instance to install shielding – we need Dark Sky approved light fixtures and need to reframe thinking to see a dark sky as an asset. Signify (renamed Philips lighting) are suppliers of street lights. Carol is hoping to write specifications to comply with best practice Dark Sky principles.
- Song Ziyan – Japan. Example of art is a football with night sky map printed on it.
- Suresh Bhattarai – Nepal – Dark Sky Nepal, est. 2024 – Nepal Astronomical Society est. 2007. Explore ways to protect the night sky using art as a medium.
Ecology Engagement
Moderator, Dr Avalon C.S. Owens
- Travis Longcore – Urban Ecologist. Vv good presentation
Light signals seasonal rhythms e.g. soybeans need long dark cycles to set seed and when not long enough they don’t set seed.
Nocturnal mammals are affected by <0.1 lux thresholds for entrainment of circadian rhythm which can influence wildlife (see table / chart)
Street lights turn young duds into studs – birds are affected – see lists in presentation.
Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) chart
Day light / Day time vision – chart
Variability for different groups – 6 examples – Amphibians > >> Reptiles
Discussion – Travis explained graphs, etc. Need to reduce blue, increase yellow and red.
Lower CCT wherever possible
Being able to provide suppliers with solutions rather than falling back on the status quo.
- Dr Avalon C.S. Owens, Harvard University – vv good pwrpt
Light —- > — through to —– > —– Life
Some animals use the night sky for navigation.
Dung beetles – move dung in line with the Milky Way
Sea turtles need moon light
Birds need light
Some bats need light, others don’t and so light pollution can badly impact different species.
[ … Xtra to presentation fr internet search: How artificial light is affecting insects ..
Life in the Dark: How Artificial Light is Impacting Insects | Bug Banter Podcast | Xerces Society
Episode 11: Life in the Darkness: How Artificial Light is Impacting Insects … ]
- Ipah Uid Lynn
How light affects sea life
Coral spawning is dependent on moon.
Note: try to resist the urge / impulse to install stronger, brighter light with the least amount to serve the purpose for purchasing and using light.
How to make a place fire-fly friendly
The best light is no light at all, and it was the first ‘light’ that humans experienced.
Sunday 10 November, 2024
Dark Sky Policy Engagement Workshop – Moderator – Chris Peterson – very good
- Vana Vajysguana – Lawyer, researcher
Spoke about Council of European Union and how they are shaping new laws
Draft of a Manifesto for tackling light pollution
Aimed at Environmental ministers
Noted projects and data …
- Effects on biodiversity
- Regulatory framework
- Solutions – biological, social, economic
Main points …
- Night is a part of the nocturnal environment
- Light pollution is a form of environmental pollution
- Call for light solution measures at the EU level
Raise awareness – action is essential for all – legal and political for all EU member states
- Brain Liebel – Dark Sky staff – talked about and explained Dark Sky templates for policy makers at Regional level – National and states
Municipal level – local city and town
Dark Sky website has extensive range of templates that can be applied locally.
Get involved – creating Municipal laws – Codes and templates for these – Videos as explainers – Legislation templates and codes also available.
Municipal Ordinance Template, includes Outdoor Lighting Ordinance, noting purpose, etc and Outdoor lighting requirements
Definitions – important to get these right.
- Rick Utting
Get prepared by using Templates – contact Councillors to get them on board and familiar with the content and process.
Organise workshops and group discussions that get things on the agenda,
Find a champion for the cause at local level. Establish working relationships with these people that will be key to getting Dark Sky principles adopted.
Dark Sky Awards – Moderator: Chris Peterson.
Presenter of the award nominees – Dajana Bjelajac – Serbia – i.e. provided brief overview of what each recipient had done and was receiving the award for …
- Dark Sky Park – Mayo Dark Sky Park, Wild Nephin National Park, Georgia
- Dark Sky Defenders
- Shweta Kulkaini – individual
- Nyaguthii Carol – Kenya
- Ken Wishaw – Australia – University of Southern Queensland (Sunshine Coast, Qld) research around blue light and how it is not necessary since the human eye is not equipped to deal with it …. See research
- Sebastien Vanclair – France – developer of the Dark Sky Lab.
- Mohammad Saleh Timar – Iran
- Rader Lane – Grand Canyon National Park – retrofitting 5,000 light fixtures
- Silvia Maria Carneiro de Campos – Brazil
- Rising Star award
- Dora Yang Shenzhen
- The Night Owls – creating a workbook, embracing the night, fun games at night
- Capital of Darkness
- Wildlife Night Watch awards
Chiara Carucci – leadership in the ‘Lighting Police’ – raising awareness - Bob Gent Community Leadership award
Dark Skies Herefordshire - Galileo award
Miroslav Kocifaj (Professor) – Slovakia – development of the Sky glow Simulator http://skyglow.sav.sk/ - Dr Arthur Hoag and William T Raturn ?? award
Sabine Frank – Germany — education for government organisations, etc. - Crawford Hunter Lifetime Achievement Award
Richard Green (Dr) – lifelong dedication — Michael Rymer, Dark Sky staff, presented award to Richard Green who noted in his acceptance talk …- Awareness of users lighting needs and impacts of each of these
- We make best progress when we engage with all the stakeholders
- Our job is to advocate for policy that encourages the community to want shielded, purpose built lighting and so this leads to mitigating undue impacts
- We need ‘just enough’ light, no-more, no-less, just right and fit for purpose – anything greater is a waste for everyone.
- Need for good light that will prioritise protection of the environment
- We need to find allies and work with them
- Remind ourselves that none of us is exempt from trying to protect the night sky.
Virtual Social Hour – Moderator – Chris Peterson
SC – asked re availability / access to presentations – yes, they will be loaded on to the Dark Sky website – also able to join monthly discussion group.
Closing session – Moderator – Nalayini Davies
Travis Novitsky – Northern Nights, Starry Skies – YouTube
Spirits Dancing
– we come here from the stars and when we die we go back.
– The Moose Constellation – each indigenous group has their own significant star pattern.
> Constellation Wintermaker (Orion) – in the Minnesota night sky.
Ruskin Hartley – Dark Sky International, CEO – 900 registered for the Under One Sky event from 52 countries.
Some take home points …
- Consider how important language is in reporting a problem and how important language is in solving a problem.
- The language of the night sky is being hidden from us by the glare / glow that is blocking our view of the night sky
- Embracing the night sky is to revitalize local and especially rural economies
- The dark sky is not ‘dark’, it is in fact full of light and inspiration.
- The history of conservation is to conserve the night sky for children living in urban areas.
- Even rural areas are being threatened by artificial light at night pollution.
- Yes we are against light pollution, but what are we for?
- We are for –
- Smart
- Responsible
- Sustainable lighting – against wasted light and energy.
- What we are up against is what seems like a dichotomy that is impossible for us to resolve, but no, we are …
- For natural darkness
- For quality lighting.
Nalayini Davies, Vice-President Dark Sky International (New Zealand)
- The problem is only about 150 years old and we can restore the night sky,
- We are on a mission – not a mission impossible – rather this is achievable,
- We have invented our way into this situation and we can invent our way out of it.
