Yash recently discovered something astounding. Moths fly with their backs to a light because they think it’s the sky and they try to orient themselves to it. And then there’s all kinds of disorientation and trouble for them. Yash touches on the best light for moths in terms of nanometers and placement. You may think they’re just moths but they pollinate an enormous amount of our food. It’s time for the lighting industry to step up and tackle this problem. Yash Sondhi is a postdoctoral researcher working in the Kawahara Lab in the Florida Museum of Natural history. He obtained his PhD at Florida International University in Miami with Dr. Jamie Theobald, studying how moths and butterflies see the world, and specifically how moth eyes and brains adapted to function so well under dim light. He uses multiple techniques (genetics, animal behavior, neuroscience) to examine how different day and night flying insects’ senses (sight, hearing, smell) have evolved. As human civilization develops, artificial light is slowly eroding dark skies with disastrous consequences for animals, plants, and humans. As awareness increases that light pollution is harmful, understanding how different mitigation strategies work is crucial to implement change. Yash is thus studying how light can disorient and alter the circadian activity of insects, and testing strategies to mitigate light pollution. He also contributes to community science and insect biodiversity monitoring in India and Central America. 

Highlights from this episode:
 - Elegy for an Owl
 - ALAN and Allergies
 - State Lighting Regs
 - Wasatch Update

Sponsored by Evluma
https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle 

Headlines and Sources:

ALAN Makes Allergies Worse
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-024-03291-5

UK Tax Laws Increased Light Pollution in Sub-Saharan Africa
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-tax-laws.html

Women Focus on Darkness in the Environment
https://www.fastcompany.com/91028055/heat-map-women-walking-alone-night-personal-safety-study

New Daylight Therapy for Parkinson's Patients
https://www.led-professional.com/all/revolutionary-daylight-therapy-study-offers-new-hope-for-parkinsons-patients-enhancing-sleep-and-circadian-rhythms

Sleep Health Linked with Mental Health
https://neurosciencenews.c om/sleep-circadian-rhythm-mental-health-25633/

Red Lighting Are Great for Wildlife But Present Issues for People
https://www.lightnowblog.com/2024/02/researchers-find-red-lights-outdoors-for-wildlife-protection-comes-with-potential-risks/

Circadian Clock Linked with Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.08.579499v1

American Headlights Are More 'Blinding' Than International Counterparts 
https://abc7chicago.com/why-are-headlights-so-bright-car-adb-high-beam/14428185/

USDA Approves Bioluminescent Petunias for Sale
https://newsrnd.com/life/2024-02-16-let-there-be-light-%E2%80%93-from-next-year-you-will-be-able-to-buy-glowing-plants.SJGlNn7asa.html

NY Bird Safety Law Renamed After Popular Deceased Owl
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/politics/a46990141/new-york-flaco-the-owl-law/

NY Proposes Law on Non Essential Lighting after 11pm
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S7663

IL May Pass "Responsible Outdoor Lighting Control Act"
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7165848982722727936/?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_updateV2%3A%28urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7165848982722727936%2CFEED_DETAIL%2CEMPTY%2CDEFAULT%2Cfalse%29

Maryland Proposes Limits on Lighting at State-Run Facilities
https://engagifiiweb.com/maco/engagifii-detail/?billId=647003

Death Valley to Host Dark Sky Festival
https://news3lv.com/news/local/dark-sky-festival-sets-return-to-death-valley-national-park-nps-california-nevada-las-vegas-astronomical-society-astronomy-stars-planets

Copper Harbor, MI Hosts Dark Sky Festival
https://www.mlive.com/life/2024/02/up-dark-sky-festival-to-feature-stargazing-workshops-at-historic-keweenaw-lodge.html

St Germain, WI Extends Public Hearings on Proposed Lighting Ordinance 
https://www.wxpr.org/politics-government/2024-02-15/st-germain-extends-public-comment-period-on-outdoor-lighting-ordinance-proposal

West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris Wants You to Turns Down the Lights
https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/community/mayor-locals-businesses-switch-off-light-night-105326/

Chile Forms Volunteer Dark Skies Protection Brigade in Elqui Valley 
https://www.laprensalatina.com/chilean-skies-protected-from-light-pollution-by-the-guardians-of-darkness/

Save Wasatch Back Dark Skies Lawsuit Against Wasatch County Dismissed
https://www.kpcw.org/wasatch-county/2024-02-21/save-wasatch-back-dark-skies-lawsuit-against-county-dismissed
Hawnby, North Yorkshire Updates Lighting
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24119160.hawnby-north-yorkshire-becomes-dark-skies-friendly/

ADSA Recognizes Raytec Fixtures
https://twitter.com/RaytecLED/status/1758158074156581342

DSI Names 4 More Dark Sky Accomodations 
https://biz.crast.net/worlds-first-five-official-dark-sky-resorts-revealed-in-utah-and-arizona/

You might have seen Nathalie on episode 324 of the Get A Grip On Lighting podcast. We thought Nathalie’s commitment to good, responsible lighting made her a natural fit for this podcast as well. Nathalie pushes back on some of the ideas that have been talked about on Restoring Darkness. She is all for dark sky preserves, but she doesn’t expect to see a lot of stars from New York City. And as she points out, even if all the lights were out, the pollution and particulates in the air would probably still prevent you from seeing the night sky. Nathalie even inspired Michael to rethink some of his views. Nathalie Rozot, MIES, is the founder of PhoScope, a think tank on light. She is a New York-based phototect and the recipient of many prestigious awards, grants, fellowships and sponsorships, including a 2021 WIL Award for the global solar lighting initiative Light Reach. She has a strong track record of contributions to social and critical issues in lighting and to lighting and design education. These include international keynote presentations, speaking engagements and publications, as well as a part-time professorship at The New School, former engagements as senior thesis faculty in lighting design Masters programs, senior guest lecturer in landscape architecture Masters programs in Versailles and Lille, and education columnist for the IES’s publication LD+A. 

Highlights from this episode:

Sponsored by Evluma

https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle 

Headlines and Sources can be found at RestoringDarkness.com

If light is in a simulation, how does it know what is reality? Okay, obviously light isn’t self-aware. But Dr. Morrell and his team at University of Exeter in the U.K. are creating computational models that predict the characteristics of artificial light at night. These models can show everything from how street lights will affect animals, plants, and humans. It’ll show what the glare will be like on a particular road. But most importantly, it can demonstrate how to improve the lighting before spending one pound or dollar on a light fixture. Dr. Morrell is a postdoc researcher working between the Environment and Sustainability Institute and the Astrophysics group at the University of Exeter. He received his PhD in astrophysics from Exeter in 2020, where he researched techniques for measuring the properties of stars. Since then, he has been working on combining measurement techniques with computational models to predict the characteristics of artificial light at night at and just above ground level, in locations and at scales that humans and animals experience it. He is working to develop quantitative models to better predict the ecological impacts of our rapidly evolving urban lightscapes.

Connect with Dr. Morrell: Twitter - @smorrell Mastodon - @[email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammorrell/ Personal website: https://sammorrell.co.uk/ Project website: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/esi/research/projects/artificial-light/ 

Highlights from this episode:
 - Lighting up the Court
 - Satellite Imaging
 - Tigers
 - Bridges

Sponsored by Evluma
https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle 

Headlines and Sources:
Mark Baker and the Soft Lights Foundation Sue FDA
https://www.softlights.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mark-Baker-vs.-FDA_filed.pdf

Major Variations in Street Light Dimming Functionality
https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-01/ssl-impacts-010v-led-streetlights_dec2023.pdf

AIR and CAS Partner on Satellite Imaging to Track Light Pollution
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17538947.2023.2297013

AIMS Using Satellites to Track Hazards to Marine Life
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-potential-iconic-marine-wildlife.html

New Estimate; Low-Orbit Objects Will Soon Be Responsible for 10% of Sky Glow 
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Datawatch/Satellite-glints-grow-in-night-skies

Jeju National University College of Medicine Finds that Bright Light at Night Doubles Risk of Eye Disease
https://www.newsdirectory3.com/bright-lights-at-night-the-double-risk-of-eye-disease/

Diabetic Mice Do Worse Under ALAN
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphot.2024.1323539/abstract

LED Headlights Are Getting Worse
https://www.ledsmagazine.com/specialty-ssl/article/14303722/uk-motoring-group-says-blinding-headlights-are-getting-worse

UK Gov to Investigate Headlight Brightness
https://lightaware.org/news/uk-government-acknowledge-issues-with-glaring-headlights?fbclid=IwAR3E1LC87-HKQtgZJq3zFpKneB72u82y6nNOzgUOy0UHHrPud2t6USoQqKI

Excess Lighting Ruins Your Garden
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/gardening/2024/01/13/tone-it-down-why-too-much-artificial-lighting-is-bad-for-your-garden/

Pench Tiger Reserve is India's First Dark Sky Park 
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/maharashtra-pench-tiger-reserve-becomes-indias-first-dark-sky-park-all-you-need-to-know-11705123164919.html

Lake Placid, NY Forms Dark Sky Committee
https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/49090/20240115/making-skies-darker-in-lake-placid-and-the-adirondack-park

Truckee, CA Works on Dark Sky Initiative
https://www.sierrasun.com/news/dont-be-afraid-of-the-dark-stars-will-light-the-way/

Campbell River, BC Resident Ask for Nuisance Lighting Laws
https://www.campbellrivermirror.com/local-news/campbell-river-resident-calls-for-city-to-regulate-nuisance-lighting-7296211

Brightoners Ask for American Express Community Stadium to Turn down exterior lighting
http://stadiumdb.com/news/2024/01/england_brighton_residents_urge_club_to_turn_off_that_light

Aspen, CO passes Light trespass Ordinance
https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/26/aspen-goes-dark-with-a-new-ordinance-that-punishes-light-trespass/ 

Samuel De Champlain Bridge in QC adds 5,800 RGB Decorative Lamps without Bothering Wildlife
https://www.lightspeconline.com/projects/article/33014622/lighting-an-iconic-bridge-while-minimizing-environmental-impact

 Kansas City’s Bond Bridge Decorative Lights Are Out Over Maintenance Costs
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-lights-kansas-city-bond-120000090.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9hcHAubWVsdHdhdGVyLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAPcMfu8Xb7cYSO8irSBg2XVVUZPQ39i4791pnBsDBLROxE0so_Lxq1NxhhwqWdFCDF3dEhlXre9edZsZYjwnp1b3X_Uhzx1oEefQW17LC3JyQYkzwRxwHdp0hjkn9TkgvwtcyTJpBb4FhCZWyRHe0FVcV1ATM-jl00eIequJG-W

LDS Motions to Join Heber Valley, UT as Co-Defendant in Zoning Fight 
https://ksltv.com/617416/church-of-jesus-christ-asks-to-intervene-in-lawsuit-against-heber-valley-utah-temple/

Musta Huone Drops Album in the Theme of Light Pollution
https://thequietus.com/articles/33751-musta-huone-interview

Peter comes to us from Casambi, so naturally this one is all about controls. Now don’t glaze over all you astronomers and astrotourists, this is important. This is how we get to restore our night sky and still have the light at night that we need. Peter tells Michael and Mark that he has been involved in a project where a developer actually WANTED to give street light control to the end-user - the people with homes on the street. Mark likes the idea that people who need brighter light can turn up a parking lot lamp temporarily that will then return to its dim state which is good for the people who are sensitive to bright LED lights. Could controls help us get it under control? Prior to his 20 year career of leading teams and driving revenue in the lighting manufacturing and controls industry, Peter worked in software. It was this distinctive blend of experiences that fueled his passion for harnessing technology for innovative problem-solving—a passion he now brings to Casambi. 

Highlights from this episode:
 - Certifying Campgrounds
 - A First for Wales
 - Darkness Events
 - A Bother in Bisei

Sponsored by Evluma
https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle

Headlines and Sources
DSI Launches Approved Lodging Program
https://darksky.org/news/pack-your-bags-the-darksky-approved-lodging-program-is-now-live/

Jonestown, TX Recognized as a Dark Sky Community
https://darksky.org/news/jonestown-becomes-texass-ninth-international-dark-sky-community/

Presteigne and Norton are Wales' First Dark Sky Community
https://news.yahoo.com/powys-street-lights-off-wales-184206450.html

Dynamic Lighting in ICU Reduces Delirium Symptoms
https://medicaldialogues.in/critical-care/news/modified-icu-design-integrating-dynamic-lighting-system-may-reduce-delirium-severity-122743

National Institutes of Health Studies Finds Genome Associations in Sleep Latency in Fruit Flies
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-50552-z#Sec7


Bordeaux Deputy Mayor: Your Fear of the Dark is on You
https://newsrnd.com/news/2024-01-11-turning-off-the-lights-at-night--%22this-black--it-freaks-me-out%22----one-year-on--mixed-results-in-bordeaux.SkeuOs7TOT.html

Cornelius, NC May Lift Ban on Year-Round String Lights
https://www.corneliustoday.com/light-news-day/

Davis, CA Debates Uplight for Trees
https://www.davisenterprise.com/news/city-seeks-community-feedback-on-downtown-tree-lighting-options/article_67982c54-a9a9-11ee-8bd3-63cf4f3fc78b.html

Tarup Dark Sky Fest Sets Date
https://www.kunstrumfyn.dk/about-trup-dark-sky

Powhatan State Park in VA Begins Saturday Under the Stars Program 
https://www.romulans.net/2024/01/10/marvel-at-the-night-sky-during-saturday-under-the-stars-at-powhatan-state-park-katelyn-harlow-wric-abc-8news/

Belfast Starlings Return to Murmurate, Despite Light Pollution Worries
https://twitter.com/BBCNewsNI/status/1744610357606322448

Bisei, Japan’s Bright Neighbors
https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.12812

More and more satellites are going to obstruct the view for astronomers, but as Jo Marchant points out, it will also affect the cultural, spiritual and psychological aspects for everyone when they don’t have a clear view of the stars. Jo explains, in her book, The Human Cosmos: Civilisation and the Stars, how it is evident from ancient cave drawings that early man used the stars to mark the passage of time. She argues that the invention of mechanical clocks meant that we no longer needed to look to the sun and stars to mark time. So take off your watch, put away your phone, cover your digital clock and just take in the majesty of the stars. Jo Marchant is a New York Times bestselling author and speaker. Her writing explores the nature of humanity and our universe, from the mind-body connection to the mysteries of past civilisations and the awesome power of the night sky. 

Highlights from this episode:

 - Debunk the Blue?
 - Protein Possibilities
 - DLC LUNA 1.0a
 -Rudolph’s Rhythms

Sponsored by Evluma
https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle