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Light Pollution News
Light Pollution News episodes
- Trust Nobody, Check Everything.Today, I’m welcoming back statistician, Paul Marchant; the founder of DarkSkySites.com, Barrington Russell; and, welcoming back to the show, one of my favorite guests, lawyer (and from the Plan-B team), Yana Yakushina!This episode, New York reps put forth a new light pollution bill, so what’s all the fuss about? We’ll dive into precisely what it means for New Yorkers! Also, we talk rigorously about rigorousness of crime study methodologies. And lastly, what’s 70% larger than the ISS and comes in 1M quantities?You’ll find out next, on another Light Pollution News!58 min
- May 2026: Reverse Vertigo
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This episode's guests:
- Megan Eaves-Egenes, Author of Nightfaring - In Search of the Disappearing Darkness.
- Barrington Russell, founder of DarkSkySites.com.
- Paul Marchant, Statistician.
Bill's News Picks:
- My Favorite Dark Sky Running in the U.S., Andy Cochrane, Run.
- Bali becomes a ghost town for new year. Here's why, Gillian Aeria, ABC News.
- Is urban part-time lighting a mitigation measure for a common amphibian? A case study on Bufo spinosus, Biodiversity and Conservation.
- Satellite imagery reveals increasing volatility in human night-time activity, Nature.
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...58 min - Reverse VertigoWelcome friends to May’s first episode of Light Pollution News! This episode, I welcome someone whose writing you’ve probably read, and are probably really familiar with! Well she has a new book coming out – Megan Eaves joins the show! And, I have a man who built a website you’ll need to know about, that being Barrington Russell! Also, with us today is a statistician who will help keep us honest about our methodology, Mr. Paul Marchant!This episode, how one night in Bali can change your world! How light can change the behavior of toads. And ants that can plot the movements of the moon...intuitively, they’re not sitting there drawing diagrams!All this and much more, including some fun astrotourism talk, on this episode of Light Pollution News!58 min
- April 2026: Mandate Controls.
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This episode's guests:
- Johan Eklöf, Author of Darkness Manifesto.
- Chetna Misra, Lightbahn.
- Leo Smith, ReduceLP.com
Bill's News Picks:
- Residents, feeling shut out, boo city over lighting plans at Waveland, Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register.
- Spokane homeowners can get a free motion sensor light through new city program, Shannon Moudy, KREM
- Glynn County’s new zoning draft fails to update light protections for sea turtles, Jabari Gibbs, The Current GA.
- Light pollution in the wild affects adult reef fish and has intergenerational and direct impacts on offspring, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
- Istanbul's Ramadan Lights: The Vanishing Art of Mahya, DW News.
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...48 min - April 2026: Conquering Nature!
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This episode's guests:
- Johan Eklöf, Author of Darkness Manifesto.
- Chetna Misra, Lightbahn.
- Leo Smith, ReduceLP.com
Bill's News Picks:
- SMITH, LEO F v. MULLINS, RAHEEM L Et Al, State of Connecticut Judicial Branch.
- The border wall is closing in on Big Bend, sparking opposition by locals, Martha Psowski, Inside Climate News.
- New planning rules threaten Kaikōura's dark sky status – council, 1 News.
- ‘The normal should be darkness’: why one Belgian national park is turning off ‘pointless’ streetlights, Phoebe Weston, The Guardian.
- Blue light filters don't work, Patrick Mineault, Neuroai.science.
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...1 hr 5 min - Conquering NatureI’m very excited about today’s guest lineup. I have with us someone who has been an inspiration to many of you listening at home, that being Mr. Johan Eklöf. Also with us today is Chetna Misra from the great organization, Lightbahn! And we welcome Leo Smith back.This episode, you’ll hear about what happened between Leo and his recent suit against the Connecticut Court System! We also cover a lot of policy news – including some events down in Big Bend and New Zealand. You won’t want to miss that. And rounding out our health news, does night mode actually do anything for your health?All this and much more on today’s episode of Light Pollution News!1 hr 5 min
- Mandate ControlsI welcome back our great guests this month, including Darkness Manifesto’s Johan Eklöf. Lightbahn’s Chetna Misra, and Leo Smith, a man who’s single handedly trying to have the Connecticut Court System be held to the law of the land.In the news this episode, were the lights in Waveland golf course really going to be that bad? A rainbow laser that stayed on until 3AM and blasted 60 miles out to sea! And we cover some ecology news. You’ll want to stay to the very end as I have a very brief but great little piece of listener feedback.Let’s jump into this episode of Light Pollution News!48 min
- Why It's So Bright at Night? Recent Chris Beckett Triumph!
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In this episode, Bill McGeeney interviews Chris Beckett of the Actual Astronomy Podcast. One day, he discovered a new sun glaring directly toward his observatory. This is the story of how he worked to bring sanity back to his nighttime environment.
THE PROBLEM
Chris Beckett discovered an exceptionally bright light only about 2km from his Saskatchewan observatory. It was orders of magnitude brighter than typical outdoor lighting and nearly rendered his observatory unusable.
THE SOLUTION
Chris worked with municipal bylaw enforcement. Officials investigated and confirmed it violated bylaws. The neighbor appears to have kept the light off.
THE OUTCOME
A rare success story. Chris's documentation and persistence through proper channels created meaningful change, proving individuals can combat light pollution effectively.
"This, this was such an order of magnitude different from anything we ever saw before, Bill. Like even the photo doesn't do it justice!" - Chris Beckett
"Well, this has been a great story, a great tale, great success. Congratulations Chris, on actually being able to score a win." - Bill McGeeney
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...47 min - Why It’s So Bright at Night.Recent Chris Beckett Triumph! Join our mailing list. Follow us at LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, & Tiktok This Episode: Chris Beckett built a dark sky observatory in rural Saskatchewan. Then a neighbor installed a light so extraordinarily bright it cast shadows on his observatory from two kilometers away. The light was so intense that photographs couldn’t […]47 min
- March 2026: Create Your Own Meaning.
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This episode's guests:
- Remi Bouche, Science Coordinator at Mont-Megantic.
- Jeremey Evans, Photographer - Filmmaker.
- Dashiell Leeds, Conservation Coordinator for the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter.
Bill's News Picks:
- “The Most Challenging Argument to Make”: Feelings of Safety in Dark Sky Advocacy, Environmental Communication.
- Denmark Is Switching to Red Streetlights, and It Could Revolutionize Urban Lighting Around the World, Arezki Amiri, Daily Galaxy.
- A Methodological Proposal for Implementing Dark Infrastructure Within the Ecological Network of an Urban Forest, Land.
- Light pollution: Should twilight be the focus of mitigations for biodiversity?, Current Biology
- Like a starry sky under the roof – Sanctuary of St. John Bosco, Szymon Biedronka, Mad White.
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...1 hr 14 min
About Light Pollution News
From the publisher's feed
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 disappearing nighttime environment and the world around you.