Dr. John Barentine FRAS10h ago

New preprint by S. Bará et al., "Protecting and restoring the sky quality at astronomical observatories" https://zenodo.org/records/20259634

In it, the authors argue that traditional regulatory frameworks, which focus primarily on source-by-source lighting controls and local "good practices", are structurally incapable of preventing an unbounded increase in overall skyglow. To remedy this, they propose a comprehensive, top-down framework based on enforceable territorial light emission budgets to actively protect and restore astronomical sites.

#Astronomy #DarkSkies #LightPollution #LightingPolicy

Dr. John Barentine FRASMar 7, 2025

New conference paper by @salvabara argues that "setting total emission limits becomes necessary in order to ensure that the negative effects of light pollution do not surpass red-lines of unacceptable degradation of the natural night."

https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.02724

#DarkSkies #LightPollution #LightingPolicy #Environment

Trust, but verify: Reducing artificial light emissions and monitoring compliance

In order to reduce light pollution we have to reduce the overall amount of artificial light emissions. This is a consequence of the basic rules governing the propagation of light in the terrestrial environment. In this work I revisit the physical laws causing that (i) "all" artificial light emitted outdoors is lost or pollutant, (ii) the negative effects of light pollution depend monotonically on the local concentration of photons of anthropogenic origin, and (iii) this concentration depends linearly on the total artificial light emissions, weighted by the light pollution propagation functions. Setting total emission limits becomes necessary in order to ensure that the negative effects of light pollution do not surpass red-lines of unacceptable degradation of the natural night. Once these red-lines are socially agreed, monitoring compliance becomes a relevant task. Several complementary methods for assessing total light emissions are being used nowadays, including public inventories of installed lights, direct radiance measurements from ground or low Earth orbit satellites, and scattered radiance measurements using ground based detectors (night sky brightness monitoring). While updated administrative inventories could in principle be trusted, independent verification is a must. The required measurements pose in turn significant challenges: we discuss here how the variability of the terrestrial atmosphere sets a lower limit on the minimum emission changes that can be reliably detected by measurements, and propose some ways to improve this performance.

arXiv.org
Dr. John Barentine FRASOct 17, 2024

An @ipsos report for the national energy distribution company of France notes (en français) that "80% of elected officials surveyed have already implemented the switching off of public lighting after 10 p.m. in their municipality". (h/t @salvabara)

https://observatoire.enedis.fr/barometre

#DarkSkies #LightPollution #PublicLighting #OutdoorLighting #LightingPolicy #Europe #EU

Dr. John Barentine FRASSep 5, 2024

Lights Out Connecticut and the Menunkatuck Audubon Society recently published this new outdoor lighting policy guidance for CT communities. (Many of the ideas it contains would work well in other U.S. states, too.)

PDF: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/62364099627f7f41e163f03b/t/66d22042eb5560458a0a7b45/1725046854369/LightsOutCT_Model_Lighting_Regulations_2024.pdf

#LightingPolicy #OutdoorLighting #LightPollution #DarkSkies #Connecticut

Dr. John Barentine FRASJun 1, 2024

Reducing #LightPollution involves well-known technical solutions, but public policies that implement them often fail. Learn what "lightsheds" are and how they may overcome this obstacle.

https://www.darkskyconsulting.com/blog/lightshed-management-the-next-frontier-in-dark-sky-conservation

#DarkSkies #LightingPolicy #Lightshed

"Lightshed" management: the next frontier in dark-sky conservation?

Image credit: Y. Beletsky (LCO)/ESO 1705 words / 7-minute read

DARK SKY CONSULTING, LLC
Dr. John Barentine FRASMay 23, 2024

The #Illinois Responsible Outdoor Lighting Control Act has been passed by the state Senate and House of Representatives. Now it's on to @govpritzker for his signature.

Full details: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3501&GA=103&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=153201&SessionID=112

#DarkSkies #LightPollution #OutdoorLighting #LightingPolicy

Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB3501

Bill Status - Illinois General Assembly

Dr. John Barentine FRASMar 21, 2024

A new law in Upper #Austria comes into force on 1st May 2024 that regulates public outdoor lighting, including athletic fields. Features include a 10pm-6am curfew; 3000K CCT limit; and full cut-off requirement with 70° maximum beam angle.

https://www.meinbezirk.at/oberoesterreich/c-politik/neues-umweltgesetz-soll-lichtverschmutzung-einschraenken_a6580333

#LightingPolicy #Europe #LightPollution #DarkSkies

Unnütze Beleuchtung: Neues Umweltgesetz soll Lichtverschmutzung einschränken - Oberösterreich

Als erstes Bundesland hat Oberösterreich Regelungen gegen Lichtverschmutzung im oö. Umweltschutzgesetz verankert. Sie geben den Gemeinden Rechtssicherheit bei der Nutzung von Beleuchtungen im öffentlichen Raum.

MeinBezirk.at
Dr. John Barentine FRASMar 1, 2024

While people have strong opinions about how outdoor lighting and #crime interact, the truth is very unsettled scientifically. Read more about the shortcomings in current research and practice as well which factors and considerations really matter.

https://www.darkskyconsulting.com/blog/the-thorny-problem-of-lighting-and-crime

#OutdoorLighting #Science #LightingPolicy #Criminology

The thorny problem of lighting and crime

Although subject to widely held folk beliefs, the truth about how outdoor lighting and crime interact is very unsettled scientifically. This post examines the evidence, identifies shortcomings in current research and practice, and suggests the factors and

DARK SKY CONSULTING, LLC
Dr. John Barentine FRASFeb 26, 2024

"A second piece of legislation, the Dark Skies Protection Act, S.7663/A5632 would significantly reduce #LightPollution in #NewYork by requiring most non-essential outdoor #lighting be covered by an external shield, be motion-activated, or be turned off between 11 PM and 5 AM. ... The Dark Skies Act will help create a safer environment for #birds by reducing the #ArtificialLight in our night skies."

https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/brad-hoylman-sigal/legislators-advocates-rename-statewide-bird-safe

#UnitedStates #LightingPolicy #ALAN #Flaco

Legislators, Advocates Rename Statewide Bird Safe Buildings Act the “FLACO Act”

NEW YORK — Today, in the wake of the untimely death of Flaco, the Eurasion eagle-owl that captured the hearts and minds of New Yorkers upon escaping from the Central Park Zoo after an individual vandalized his enclosure, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal (D/WFP-Manhattan) and Assembly Member Anna Kelles, along with New York City Audubon and Audubon New York (the state office of National Audubon Society), are announcing a renewed push for two pieces of legislation that will make the skies safer for birds.

NYSenate.gov
Dr. John Barentine FRASFeb 17, 2024

New report from the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub (Australia): "The human values of dark skies: Light pollution as an emerging justice issue"

PDF: https://www.nespsustainable.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/DarkSkies_Report_Final4_doi.pdf

#LightPollution #DarkSkies #LightingPolicy #SocialJustice #EnvironmentalJustice