Light Pollution Reflection / Refraction Number 13

Posted June 1, 2008

WARNING:

I guarantee my reflections and refractions will create controversy and confrontation; and quite likely I'll step on many toes, but it's time to be brutally honest. So, if you are thin-skinned proceed accordingly--take your hand off the mouse and back away from the computer.

TURN OFF YOUR ^-#_@!=* LIGHTS Part 3

Please read Parts 1 and 2 before Part 3.

On an earlier, gentler, more amicable version of my DSI Web site (2002-2005) I suggested astronomers create a DARK SKY NIGHT.

I attempted to lure astronomers away from their telescopes long enough to create an annual DARK SKY NIGHT, a celebration of darkness. Alas, prying astronomers away from their scopes and sky is remarkably difficult. Look, I know you're busy, but...

Listen. Again, I ask the question I've asked so many times over the last few years: Astronomers, Do You Really Want Dark Skies? (ADYRWDS)?

My health makes it very difficult to act on my many ideas to eliminate light pollution, so I count on someone out there who will reach out and grab the "torch" and run to the finish line, finishing off light pollution once and for all for all of us astronomers and others who love the night sky!

The "new and improved" IDA website says there's Change on the Horizon. I've heard this before, so...

Don't wait for the light pollution orgs to do anything. Do something yourself! ADYRWDS?

I belong to several orgs concerned with issues other than light pollution. One of them expects its 4000 members to do more than pay dues and read the newsletters. Sometimes I think we get more done in a week than dark sky orgs with 10,000-plus members do in a year! ADYRWDS?

DARK SKY WEEK and Jennifer Barlow's stellar efforts

Remember high school student, Jennifer Barlow, who single-handedly created, planned and promoted the first annual Dark Sky Week Dark Sky Week (DSW) in 2003?

What a wonderful idea, Jennifer! I am in awe of you and your efforts.

For the first couple of years, the DSW was quite successful; but sadly the event's magnitude seems faded by a few photons, though not due to Ms. Barlow's interest and effort. She's busy, and unable to devote hundreds of hours to keep her idea viable. ADYRWDS?

The Astronomical League (AL), the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) endorsed her idea and efforts. But is endorsement of the project enough? ADYRWDS?

Linked to the EARTH HOUR activities, DSW 2008 was celebrated from March 29th through April 4th. Did you hear about the 2008 celebration? Did you participate? How many lights did you turn off for an hour?

Remember, EARTH HOUR is the global attempt to increase awareness of Global Warming, or as I call it, Globoil Warning! How much of the EARTH HOUR media coverage focused on light pollution and dark skies? How many astronomers got involved? Nonastronomers? Is the sky darker? Has light pollution dimmed? Are any of the lights that were turned off for an hour during DSW 2008 still turned off tonight? Astronomers: DYRWDS?

Sadly, media coverage of our dark sky issue was essentially nonexistent because it was overwhelmed in the glare and glow of EARTH HOUR's Herculean keystone issue of Global Warming!

Did the AL, the IDA, or the AAS release a report on DSW 2008? If so where is it?

How many individuals, communities, and businesses took part? How many lights were turned off? Did any community or individual notice darker skies? Do you want dark skies? Did anyone even attempt to keep a record? Collect data? If so, where is it? ADYRWDS?

I'm sorry Jennifer, but I can't wait until next year's EARTH HOUR to shine the dark sky issue in the SOBs (Satans of Brightness) faces! ADYRWDS?

START THINKING OUTSIDE THE TELESCOPE TUBE--DARK SKY NIGHTS

Astronomers, let's build on Ms. Barlow's stellar idea. Start thinking "outside the telescope tube" for a change! ADYRWDS?

Create and, more importantly, maintain a DARK SKY NIGHT! Not an annual DARK SKY NIGHT because people won't remember it, including myself with a head full of geezer goo--"Did I celebrate an annual DARK SKY NIGHT? Did I like it?"

We need to create and maintain a monthly or bimonthly (every other month) celebration--often enough to keep people involved. And we need to include astronomers and nonastronomers! ADYRWDS?

How do we promote frequent DARK SKY NIGHTS?

WE TP THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WITH IT!

We TP the entire country with it! What's TP, Stargeezer? Toilet paper!

But Stargeezer, won't we need lots of money and many more members to TP the country! Yeah, and we'll need to hire a high-priced, east coast, sophisticated, big city, "hot" advertising agency or public relations firm to produce and mount a campaign, won't we? Sound familiar? ADYRWDS?

ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP, PEOPLE.

What we have here is far too many fugitive fixtures and light bulbs spraying light up, down, and all aroun'; and you all are gonna have to do better'n ya been doin' fixin' 'em, better'n 4 lights per hour over a radius of six miles! What I want from each and every one of you astrobags o' hot air is a hard-target posting of a DARK SKY NIGHT poster, pennant, placard, handbill, bulletin, banner, broadside, flag, n' flyer, on every single house, home, business, blog n' log, church, hospital, library, gas station, grocery store, dark sky Web site, warehouse, farmhouse, ranch house, hen house, dog house, and outhouse (especially the outhouses!) in this country! Your fugitive is runaway light pollution. Sic 'em!

No Excuses! No Compromises! No Exceptions! NE! NC! NE!

We can do this the old way, the way astrogroups, astromags, dark sky orgs, etc., have been doing it for decades...with tons of your dues money and donations... -OR- you can do it in your own community on a shoestring budget (Yes, it can be done on a shoestring!), the way teachers have been doing things for what often seems centuries! ADYRWDS?

And the orgs and mags must do more than just "endorse" the cause and attach their name or logo for advertising purposes! They must get more aggressively involved. And we must promote DARK SKY NIGHTS with a blitzkrieg aimed at nonastronomers and astronomers nationwide! ADYRWDS?

Most states have at least a dozen astronomy clubs, societies, groups, etc., some more, some less. You, the members, must step up and "make it so" or there'll be no nighttime sky left to save!!

Bill Shatner (Denny Crane!), James Spader (Alan Shore), Boston Legal

Here's some more thinking outside the telescope tube: maybe some astronomer (or nonastronomer) could contact the producers of the TV show, Boston Legal, and suggest they write a script in which Denny Crane! (Bill Shatner) or Alan Shore (James Spader) argues in favor of dark skies and the elimination of light pollution-- a HUGE corporation against one or two poor astronomers just trying to see their beloved night sky! The premise for most episodes of Boston Legal has been to promote a particular "cause" with a liberal sprinkling of humor! What a hoot that episode would be!

Will it happen? I don't know, but if no one contacts Boston Legal's producer, David Kelley, it'll never happen! Don't contact James Spader or Bill Shatner (I'm an actor, not a producer.) Sorry, Star Trek fans, I just couldn't resist it, and especially, DeForest Kelley (Doc McCoy) fans! ADYRWDS?

But Stargeezer, what do we do if David Kelley rejects our idea? Well, take the same basic idea and write a short play based on the same idea and present it at every astro- convention / conference / meeting / public performance at star parties, etc., instead of the same old boring powerpoint / speech / blah, blah, blah every astronomer has heard ad nauseum! Get creative! ADYRWDS? Must I Do Everything!? R & R Number 2 and R & R Number 5

I WONDER...

I wonder: what will the astronomers attending the annual ALCON-- Astronomical League convention (July 18-19) in Des Moines, Iowa, plan to do about light pollution whilst in Des Moines. Yes, boys and girls, Des Moines does have loads of light pollution, I can see it every night all the way here in Ames, 35 miles north and... ADYRWDS?

I wonder: will the hosting organization, the Des Moines Astronomical Society, promote dark skies in some NEW and CREATIVE way during the meeting? A way that will get the media involved? Wouldn't it be something to cheer about if the "corporate" media got involved some way and the dark sky issue made the National Evening News!? Hmm... ADYRWDS?

I wonder: will the astronomers attending the Des Moines ALCON do something publicly and aggressively to combat light pollution. ADYRWDS?

I wonder: what does the IDA plan to do for the meeting to combat light pollution beyond the same old powerpoint presentation and blah, blah, blah speech. ADYRWDS?

DOES ANYONE CARE?

If any ALCON attendees or hosts care, I've got suggestions and ideas, and by golly, I'd even be willing to... ADYRWDS?

I learned a long time ago not to be hopeful for real substantive change. Still, after 20 years, the IDA is FINALLY thinking about change--finally "saying" they're going to change. They've even hired an Executive Director responsible for collecting more money and members. Why is it always about money and members? Ah, but alas, the IDA is the light pollution authority isn't it? I guess that makes me the DARK SKY AUTHORITY, minus the hyphen, of course!

What other off-the-shelf, on-a-shoestring, outside-the-telescope-tube, ideas can you think of to get the dark sky agenda shining brighter'n a nearby supernova in the public's eyes? ADYRWDS?

Part 4 of this loooong R and R will be devoted to some specific suggestions and ideas concerning DARK SKY NIGHTS. If you'd like to share your own DARK SKY NIGHT ideas or thoughts, you're welcome to send them to me anonymously or otherwise at my e-mail address: troegerj@raccoon.com I'd like to give you credit for your thoughts or give you anonymity. I hope to have Part 4 online by mid-June.

Here it is the last day of May--already! The mail just arrived (Yes, Virginia, we do have daily mail delivery way out here in the outback of Iowa!) and in it is my June issue of the REFLECTOR, the quarterly publication of the Astronomical League. The AL has at least 200 "member" astrogroups, clubs, societies, and at least 4000 individual member astronomers scattered all over America.

And right out front on the REFLECTOR cover is the tease: Ending Light Pollution--Think Local. Inside is an article and the usual column about light pollution by the IDA. With all seriousness and heartfelt concern: bless their hearts, I know they mean well, I know they are working very hard, I know... I know... I know... But it's the same old worn out stuff. The same old ideas, the same old "reflections" on the light pollution / dark sky issue! BUT at least it's LOCAL, finally, not more of the same old BUSHISM / CLINTONISM thinking!

The IDA has finally gotten around to saying what I've shouted for years: LOCAL! LOCAL! LOCAL! Now, if they'd just sack the "I" in IDA, many of us out here might just actually believe their so-called "local" pitch.

FOLKS, WE MUST PRESS FORWARD WITH ALL POSSIBLE DISPATCH, OR ASTRONOMY AS WE KNOW IT IS DEAD! EXTINCT!

Is there not one single healthy astronomer out there willing to fight light pollution more aggressively? An astronomer with the fire and passion and will to take on, point blank, the people responsible for the growth of light pollution and the corresponding death of dark skies?

And one more thing: Agree or disagree, if you read this or any other part of my Web site, would you please take a few more seconds to send my URL to as many of your astronomer colleagues and nonastronomer friends as possible? Thanks!

JOIN THE DISCUSSION with your own reflections and refractions. Just click on my e-mail address below and have at it! I will not sell or give your e-mail address to anyone. Your reflections and refractions will be placed under the link to the left labeled "Fan Mail - Hate Mail." I may edit comments I place there, but I will be careful to retain your words wherever possible.

NO EXCUSES! NO EXCEPTIONS! NO COMPROMISES!