Time to act on light pollution, say leading experts at NAM conference

Time to act on light pollution, say leading experts at NAM conference
by Gurjeet Kahlon
Cardiff UK (SPX) Jul 04, 2023

Action on light pollution is long overdue, campaigners will say at a panel event (3 July) at the National Astronomy Meeting in Cardiff. The panellists call for UK governments and local authorities to put policies in place to restore our view of the skies and to mitigate the impacts of excessive light at night on biodiversity and potentially human health.

Light pollution is rarely far from the minds of astronomers. It originates from urban street lighting, but also poorly regulated sports grounds, commercial and industrial buildings, private housing and entertainment venues.

The most familiar impact of light pollution is skyglow, which is increasing globally by 10% a year, according to research by panellist Dr Chris Kyba of the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam. This is removing access for the majority of the population to an unfettered view of the stars, an integral part of human culture and heritage.

In the UK the charity CPRE tracks observed light pollution through its Star Count, where in February each year volunteer participants count the number of stars in the interior of the winter constellation of Orion. In Wales this shows a clear dichotomy between urban and rural areas, with just 3 or 4 stars reported in the brightest settings and 30 or more visible under dark skies. The majority of the Welsh population (and in the rest of the UK) are unlikely to have ever seen the Milky Way, something our ancestors took for granted.

Alarmingly, there is also increasing evidence of the detrimental impact of artificial night-light on biodiversity, particular nocturnal species, as well as on human health. David Smith of the charity Buglife will join the discussion, as part of the 'insect apocalypse' seen across the globe may result from artificial light at night.

Although action at a national level has been slow, there are examples of good practice by local authorities, and a growing number of protected dark sky locations, including the Eryri and Bannau Brycheiniog National Parks, familiar to Panellist Dani Robertson who is Dark Sky Officer for the Prosiect Nos Partnership. Innovative lighting design has a vital part to play too, and panel member Kerem Asfuroglu runs the lighting consultancy Dark Source that works with communities to install systems that minimise pollution.

Research Report:"Citizen scientists report global rapid reductions in the visibility of stars from 2011 to 2022", Kyba C. et al, Science, 2023