Experts in light pollution hold fast to the mantra: “Keep it low, keep it shielded, keep it long.” This means that lighting should be positioned close to the ground, directed strategically to prevent light from spilling in all directions, and ideally emitting a long wavelength, often seen as amber in color. Additionally, lights should be turned off when not in use.
Some communities are embracing the recommendations of DarkSky by either upgrading their lighting fixtures to diminish light pollution or simply reducing the number of lights in operation. DarkSky International has collaborated with communities and nature reserves in 22 countries, providing assistance and granting official accreditation to areas that have successfully implemented positive changes. To date, nearly 300 regions have received accreditation.
In 2022, DarkSky collaborated with the Czech Republic to craft a European policy brief on light pollution reduction. The brief advocates for all lighting to serve a distinct purpose, to be directed only where necessary, and to be no brighter than essential. It proposes leveraging existing EU legislative frameworks related to biodiversity, climate change, and energy efficiency to advocate for measures addressing light pollution.
As of October 2022, nine member states of the European Union have introduced 20 pieces of nationwide legislation aimed at mitigating light pollution since 2000, as reported by the Czech Republic’s Ministry of the Environment. Countries are further motivated by potential economic benefits, as electric-powered lights indoors and outdoors account for 17% to 20% of global electricity consumption. By reducing usage, costs can be minimized. Locations with dark skies are also capitalizing on astrotourism, a rising trend where tourists visit areas with lower light pollution to stargaze.
Hartley expressed, “(Under) the stars are the places we told our first stories. For many communities, these have been erased and lost because of the scourge of light pollution. But more and more are starting to recover and rediscover this.”
Wildlife is also reaping the benefits. The Sea Turtle Conservancy has replaced over 30,000 lights and estimates that it has darkened more than 45 miles of nesting beach in Florida since 2010, potentially saving tens of thousands of hatchlings. Tighe remarked, “It’s really cool to be able to see such a change so quickly.”
Despite these positive developments, combatting light pollution remains a challenging endeavor. Even in some parts of Chile’s Atacama Desert, known as one of the darkest locations on Earth, a faint glow is now visible from the rapidly expanding city of La Serena, as noted by Hartley. He lamented, “You can’t escape it anymore, and it is just a product of waste and ignorance. How can we get more people to care about this?”
Rao, who was 21 when he witnessed the Milky Way above his Bronx home and is now 68, holds a pessimistic view on the future of our night skies. He expressed, “
