WHAT’S DONE?
Ames, Iowa (current population 50,700), is a conservative community in a conservative state. Like most Americans, we don’t like to be told what to do by pesky laws and regulations.
In 1971, when I started teaching 9th grade earth science here in Ames, we could see the Milky Way at night, even in downtown Ames. When I retired from teaching in 1999, the Milky Way had disappeared in the constant nightly glow of wasteful light pollution.
My students were not happy. Neither was I.
I decided to do something about it. Thirty quality telescopes were donated anonymously to Ames High School for use by students in the earth science classes. With the help of some local city officials, a few astronomers, and students, we launched a VOLUNTARY program to make streetlights and business lights Milky Way Friendly.
There are about 6000 streetlights in Ames. More than half have been capped with full cutoff Milky Way Friendly fixtures. And some of the businesses are slowly changing their lighting to make use of money-saving fixtures that put light in its place--shining down on the nighttime targets of safety and security. Even some of the local automobile dealerships have learned how to use less light, saving money while cutting down on vandalism! Not surprisingly, the dealership with the brightest and most Milky Way UNfriendly lighting also has the most vandalism! While just across the street is a dealership where most of the lights are turned off after 11 pm, and they have little vandalism! Oops!
Residents became convinced that starlight was being stolen by too much stray and wasteful nighttime lighting. They realized that doing something to save starlight and the Milky Way was neither a costly venture nor an effort that would be impossible to achieve.
There is a nighttime lighting ordinance in Ames, too, but it is badly watered-down and for the most part ineffective. Worse, when it was first made public that such an ordinance would be written and presented to the city council for passage, the business community and some residents, naturally, felt threatened. Immediately, the whole process became very public-- confrontational, controversial--an us versus them situation! A law / ordinance is a public statement that says: "YOU WILL OR ELSE!"
But not a single business or resident was harmed financially by the VOLUNTARY effort.
In short, unlike a law, which forces people to do things, voluntary compliance gives people the motivation and incentive to do what’s right. Night lights that shine down, not up and out provide MORE security and safety, while protecting the Milky Way from wasteful light pollution!
You can do the same thing, the right thing, in your community--no matter what size it is.
Yes, it’s difficult, but if I can do it, so can you, especially if you are young. I’m an old man. And once you get a few lights fixed, the rest are easy because people begin to see the difference. Why waste light? Why waste electricity? Why waste money? Why must America glow to the tune of $5 million lost every single night (see my homepage)!
People often e-mail me saying, "Why don’t you tell us exactly what to do in our town?"
Because each and every community is different. Laws and ordinances tend to force conformity and uniformity. But America is diverse! No two towns / cities are alike. What I’m asking you to do is make your community unique, make a lightscape unique to your community’s past, present and future. Create a lightscape contest! What works in Ames, Iowa, likely won’t work in your town, so you have to create a lightscape for your town, your way.
So far, the lawmakers have crafted and passed 100-plus local and statewide lighting decrees across America, but the blight of wasteful light is worse than ever. And can you imagine a deeply diluted, compromised nationwide light pollution law passed by the U.S. Congress. Get real! This Congress agrees on little, and the next Congress will likely agree on less.
Nope, this light pollution predicament is up to us, folks--you and me. Don't wait for an astronomer(s) in your community to act. If you want your children and theirs to have dark skies and views of the Milky Way, you must make it happen! Ignite a DARK SKY REVOLUTION today and save the Milky Way!
troegerj@raccoon.com