Light Pollution Reflection / Refraction Number 22

Posted September 8, 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.

Lights Out In Boston!

Interesting? Imagine if astronomers all over America could create a lights out campaign like this and more in their own communities?

Read more about it here. in an article by Casey Ross, titled "Lights Out, Conservation on for City's Tall Towers," published on Wednesday, September 3, 2008.

I've written about this kind of effort several times now in earlier Reflections and Refractions. Shouldn't every national astronomical organization such as the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), the Astronomical League (AL), the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) and every regional and local astronomical organization be doing much more than they currently are to make this sort of ACTION happen?

It seems the business community is beating the Dark Sky Community to the punch here! Well, I suppose if we astronomers get punched about the head, face, eyes, ears, nose, throat and torso, enough, we will "see" stars! Now is the time to make things happen, astronomers! ACT NOW! or forever consider the night sky overhead gone!

Every business in America wants to cut costs and increase profits! Turning out unnecessary lights permanently all night long will CUT costs dramatically! When you drive by some of the offensive car dealerships and other wasteful nighttime lighting offenders (empty parking lots, etc.), stop in and tell 'em "Turn off your ~#^*_+$$ lights at night!" Tell 'em if they want to lower prices and increase profits, "Turn off your ~#^*_+$$ lights at night!"

Send an e-mail or make a phone call to your local astronomy club and to the Astronomical League and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific OR better yet, go right to the top of the ASP (jmanning {at} astrosociety {dot} org). Oh, and don't forget that bastion and bulwark of dark skyness (more like dark shyness!), the IDA (International Dark Sky Association). Send 'em all a message they can't pretend to deny right now! Give 'em all a big kick in the butt and tell 'em to get on with darkening OUR nighttime skies! DO IT NOW! Don't wait for the next person reading this to do it! YOU do it, NOW!

Earlier Reflections and Refractions regarding LIGHTS OUT!:

11 TURN OFF YOUR &^~#_@^-< LIGHTS! Part 1

12 TURN OFF YOUR &^~#_@^-< LIGHTS! Part 2

13 TURN OFF YOUR &^~#_@^-< LIGHTS! Part 3

14 TURN OFF YOUR &^~#_@^-< LIGHTS! Part 4

17 ACT NOW!

The Boston Globe article by Casey Ross linked above was sent to me by an alert and interested Bostonian reader. Thank you.

Sunny Days and Milky Way Nights.

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