Lets do something about light pollution

[Vartigy]

Well I'm about 1.5 weeks away from being able to travel to the city to go pick up my first scope. (8" sw dob).

Anyway, I was outside last night for a few hours just cruising around the skies with a map.
Now where I am, I'm in the middle of the bush.
The only lights we get out here are, yes as stated above, the accursed power wasters.

Luckily, I'm in a cul-de-sac and theres not alot of front yard lighting. (my backyard is in my front yard).
Save for this 1... 1!!! bloomin' street light in our cul-de-sac... and it just so happens that the best spot in my yard happens to be were this light shines clearly into. GAH!.

So I got thinking... how do I sabotage a street light?
I began thinking... what would it cost to get a Pidgeon suit, climb into that, climb my way up this offending light maker... and pretend to be a pidgeon and peck at the light (take a hammer to it) accidently breaking it.

Then I thought. Bugger! Worksafe would have a go at me for not wearing a fall arrest harness while working at heights... So I dropped the idea.

But in summation... Even in the darkest of towns/cities there are those that suffer from the putrid pollution that is evening luminescence.
But if there were to be a petition going out to all levels of government... I'd be willing to sign that.

[Davekyn (David)]

You talk like I spell...I'll be signing that too! Well blueman said !

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

Here's a thing.

I make hundreds of hours of scientifically valuable astronomical observations every year. In 2009, to support the astronomical community (not), my council is building some purpose made sports fields and tennis courts just down the road from me and in the process stuffing up my night sky to the East whilst 'the game is on'.

Don't get me wrong, I'd prefer they didn't, but what gives me the right to try stop them? Hundreds of people keeping fit and having a good time versus me stuffing around with my scope. There are plenty of places to go do astronomy...

I think the only effective long term argument will be a power saving one. Jump on the green band wagon! In reality, we may be better served by reducing the number of distinct pollutant sources so that we could filter them out - low pressure sodium only thank you very much.

[bojan]

Originally Posted by AstroJunk

...... but what gives me the right to try stop them? Hundreds of people keeping fit and having a good time versus me stuffing around with my scope. There are plenty of places to go do astronomy...

I think the only effective long term argument will be a power saving one. Jump on the green band wagon! In reality, we may be better served by reducing the number of distinct pollutant sources so that we could filter them out - low pressure sodium only thank you very much.

This reasoning sounds very reasonable to me
Especially low-pressure sodium lamp approach.
It is very green (well, yellow..) and power efficiency is adequate.
Also, yellow, almost monochrome lighting is superior to white one because of higher contrast and visibility. So we have security side covered as well.

[mabsj2]

that's a good idea but i don't think they can agree to it!!

[Paul Haese]

So have you all contacted your local PM and the environment minister in your State yet, if not now is the time. The more people who make single contact the more that this issue will come to their minds. Think altruistically here and act, act now.

[PeterM]

Several of us (including Terry Lovejoy - Comet Guy) went down this track many years ago as the Association Against Obtrusive Lighting - Brisbane we had meetings with councils, energy suppliers. We took pics of offending car yards, shopping centres, highways, billboards, government buildings etc sending vast amounts of wasted light and money skyward. Pointed out the huge waste of money and coal resources, potential for planes landing on highways, changing of habits of nocturnal animals etc, etc. Put a lot of "energy", time and some of my own money into this, that then took away alot of my observing time, I (we) gave up (and i am not suggesting anyone here does) in frustration - councils listen but don't / won't act. Because of the increasing sky brightness from the spread of suburbs between Brissy, Gold Coast and now further westward I gave up visual searching for supernova, sold the Dob and went totally into an imaging search for SN from the backyard, in the main this has solved my immediate problems. Sure there have been many wins for astro groups all over the world that I personally think largely come down to councils etc saving money in economies that are in strife - bring on the recession and car yards, councils etc may have no choice but to act - but it won't be to protect the skies and maybe short lived. In my opinion the only real answer that stands a chance of long term success (and I have discussed this before here) is to somehow Heritage Protect our remaining dark skies by having Federal legislation on what lighting you can and cannot use. There are some groups i understand talking about this. A big, big call sure, but it is the IYA 2009 so when better? We have laws that protect crappy derelict buildings that are vermin infested. We need federal laws that won't be subject to the whims and finances of local councils. A very important lesson was learnt in the 1980s when power rationing in Qld saw street lights turned of for several hours and then rotated with commercial premises (in particular car yards). A huge improvement was made to the skies when the commercial lights went off , yet street lighting and general suburbia were not nearly as great a problem, and much of that is low pressure sodium lighting anyway. So if you are going to do anything in IYA 2009 wallop the business / government that flood light from below. Good luck, you have my best wishes.
PeterM