Light Pollution News

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Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Betty Buckley who made this great film, the Stars at Night and by Leo Smith, who is now starting up a new Coalition to Reduce Light Pollution!

See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!

Bill's Picks:

• Will a former landfill become PA's next stargazing mecca?, Tanisha Thomas, Spotlight PA.
  
  
• Astronomy tourism business ready to fight Hydrostor's billion-dollar Broken Hill renewable energy project, Grace Atta, Oliver Brown and Andrew Schmidt, Australian Broadcasting Network.
  
  
• Where can I place outdoor lights? The laws you need to know to avoid 'light trespass', Alex David, Homes and Gardens.
  
  
• Important garden light rules that should not be ignored but are often overlooked, Jayne Thomson, Birmingham Live.
  
  
• Palm Beach Headland Has Been Officially Named Australia's First Urban Dark Sky Place, Maxim Boon, Concrete Playground. 

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...

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How can one county lead the charge against light pollution while balancing development and environmental preservation? Second District New Castle County, Delaware Councilmember Dee Durham joins host Bill McGeeney to discuss the successful passage of Lighting Ordinance 23-122, aimed at reducing light pollution through smart lighting regulations.

Councilmember Durham explains the regulations on specific lighting types such as spotlights and floodlights, and the importance of shielding to reduce glare and enhance energy efficiency.  We'll highlight the challenges of implementing Ordinance 23-122 and how the county plans to enforce this ordinance. 

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...

Submit Voicemail!

Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Ken Walczak of Dark Sky International, Lya Osborn of Light Justice, and the award winning landscape astrophotographer, Josh Dury.

See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!

Bill's Picks:

• Let there be Skyglow—light pollution from a large outdoor music festival (Lollapalooza Berlin 2016), Scientific Reports.
• Artificial Light at Night: State of the Science 2024, Drew Reagan, Dark Sky International.
• Saudi Arabia to build world's largest dark sky reserve for stargazing, The News.
• Astronomers versus activists: the battle over San Diego’s streetlights, Robert P Crease, Physics World.
• ‘Cosmic Baseball’ to illuminate the game like never before, Jason Foster, MLB.com.

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...

Submit Voicemail!

Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Ken Walczak of Dark Sky International, Lya Osborn of Light Justice, and the award winning landscape astrophotographer, Josh Dury.

See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!

Bill's Picks:

• Florida won't light bridges in rainbow colors. So Jacksonville's LGBTQ community did., David Bauerlein, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union. 
• Giant, mysterious laser beam appears over San Francisco, Ariana Bindman, SFGate. 
• Scientists Say Light Pollution Could Interfere with Coral Spawning, TaiwanPlus News. 
• Diurnal predators in dim light: the ability of mantids to prey for supper, Environmental Entomology. 
• A LIGHT FOR TOMORROW, Chris Herring, Portland Winter Light Festival. 

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...

Submit Voicemail!

Host Bill McGeeney is joined by David Smith of Buglife, lawyer and policy researcher, Yana Yakushina, and Dark Skies Officer for Cumbria, Jack Ellerby.

See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!

Bill's Picks:

• Why some animals become agitated during solar eclipse, Basel Hindeleh, ABC News. 
• Global study finds there really are more insects out after dark, Mark Wong and Raphael Didham, Phys.org. 
• MHM WANTS TO FIGHT LIGHT POLLUTION, Emmanual Delacour, Est Media Montreal.
• Episode #7: Dark Sky Tourism,  Avery Morgan, Andrew Galster, and Greg Egbert,  The Reflection. 
• Jasper’s dark sky tourism could help combat light pollution: researchers, Local Journalism Initiative.
• Mirrors in space could boost solar power production on Earth. Here's how.,Tereza Pultarova, Space.com. 

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...

Submit Voicemail!

Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Shane Ludtke of the Actual Astronomy Podcast, Jeff Buler of the Aeroecology Lab at the University of Delaware, and Matthias Schmitt of Cedar Breaks National Monument.

See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!

Bill's Picks:

• City moths may have evolved smaller wings due to light pollution, James Dinnean, NewScientist. 
• Artificial light at night (ALAN) pollution alters bat lunar chronobiology: insights from broad-scale long-term acoustic monitoring, Ecological Processes.
• In the Spotlight: Bat Activity Shifts in Response to Intense Lighting of a Large Railway Construction Site, Sustainability.
• Dark Sky Month declared in Utah as state aims to foster ‘astrotourism’, Jonathon Sharp, ABC4. 
• Wind farm radar system reduces nighttime light pollution in Iowa, YYC Team, Yale Climate Connections. 
• Light Pollution and Oxidative Stress: Effects on Retina and Human Health, Environmental Pollution and Oxidative Stress. 
• More exposure to artificial, bright, outdoor nighttime light linked to higher stroke risk, American Heart Association. 

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...

Submit Voicemail!

Host Bill McGeeney is joined by Isa Mohammed of the Caribbean Institute of Astronomy, Frank Turina of the Night Sky Resource Center, and the Director of Dark Sky International's Engagement, Bettymaya Foott.

See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!

Bill's Picks:

• Blue lights for Benny: Delco lights up to honor 2-year-old who unexpectedly died, Leland Pinder and Katherine Scott, 6ABC. 
• Some Entergy customers could see increase in bills because of new bulbs used in street lights, WAFB9. 
• LED Color Temperature Selection Process, the City of Grand Rapids.
• Architectural Review Board Staff Report, City of Palo Alto. 
• A night in England’s darkest village, Helen Pickles, The Telegraph. 
• UWS State Senator Renames Bird-Safety Bill FLACO Act: ‘Feathered Lives Also Count’, Gus Saltonstall, West Side Rag. 
• MEANS AND WATERWAYS: LIGHTING A FERRY TERMINAL, Randall Whitehead, Furniture, Lighting & Décor.

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...

Submit Voicemail!

Host Bill McGeeney is joined by storyteller Mary Stewart Adams, author of the new book - All Along the Night, Dani Robertson, and dark sky consultant, John Barentine.

See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!

Please be sure to check out Dani Robertson's Book: All Through the Night.

Bill's Picks:

• Why flying insects gather at artificial light, Nature.
• Artificial light at night reduces earthworm activity but increases growth of invasive ragweed, BMC Ecology and Evolution.
• Artificial light at night affects the timing of roosting by Chimney Swifts, International Journal of Avian Science.
• David Duchovny tries to avoid 'electric light', BANG Showbiz.
• The majority of streets turned off at night in Bordeaux: what results after a year?, Jean Cittone, Le Figaro.
• Dark Skies: Watch as Powys lights go off for dark sky, BBC.
• Nocturnal Seafaring: the Reduction of Visibility at Night and its Impact on Ancient Mediterranean Seafaring. A Study Based on 8–4th Centuries BC Evidence, Journal of Maritime Archaeology.
• Orion and the Dark, Netflix.

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...

Submit Voicemail!

'Why It's So Bright at Night' is a periodic episode of Light Pollution News, where host Bill McGeeney sits down and chats to understand the positions of people who advocate for light. The show's intent is to spur conversation and understanding, helping all of us work together to a common unified goal of a better tomorrow for people, plants and animals.

This episode, mentioned in the Feb 2024: A Space for Celebration episode, Jennifer Huygen started a petition in Stevenage, England to add lighting to a park. We explore why the lighting is needed, what types of lighting would be deemed acceptable, and seek to understand the cultural issues that are driving the need behind the lights.

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...

Submit Voicemail!

Host Bill McGeeney is joined by freelance writer, Lauren Collee, astronomer, Tim Brothers, and film maker, Tara Roberts Zabriski.

See Full Show Notes, Lighting Tips and more at LightPollutionNews.com. Like this episode, share it with a friend!

Bill's Picks:

• It’s autumn everywhere except under this streetlight, Be Smart.
• The Small Town That Turned Christmas Lights Into an Economic Miracle, Ruth Simon and Dave Cole, The Wall Street Journal.
• City of Davis looking for better ideas to light up streets, James Yalor, CBS News Sacramento. 
• Streetlight Color Temperatures our Community Cares About, City of Boulder.
• Power outage and environmental justice in Winter Storm Uri: an analytical workflow based on nighttime light remote sensing, International Journal of Digital Earth.
• An inventory of human light exposure behaviour, Scientific Reports.
• In rural California, bright Santa Tracker spotlight divides a community, Clare Fonstein, San Francisco Chronicle. 
• Maine’s Penobscot Watershed Is Too Important to Allow Mining, Linda Coutant, National Parks Conservation Association.
• Influence of COVID-19 on night-time lights in Czechia, Journal of Maps.

Support the show

A hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible.

For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That’s $3 a month. If you like what we’re doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter!

Why Support Light Pollution News?

• Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests.
• Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer.
• Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic.

About Light Pollution News:

Ever wonder why migrating birds crash into buildings? Or why you can't sleep at night? What about where you can still see the Milky Way?

Light Pollution News explores how our 24/7 lit world affects everything from wildlife and human health to our understanding of the stars, travel, and the future of our cities. Host Bill McGeeney brings on rotating guests to help dig into the latest research, policy activity, and real-world solutions - from how irresponsible lighting degrades our health to the best dark sky destinations for your next trip. Whether you're a birder, conservationist, astrophotographer, or just someone who misses sleeping in darkness, this is the show that connects the dots between your disappear...