How is light pollution regulated in NSW?
It has been claimed that artificial light at night is the fastest growing pollutant in the world. And whether or not that is demonstrably the case, it does seem that relatively little has been written about how law and policy is or can be used to deal with it. The lack of literature may well be a predicament for regulators faced with dealing with it.
This post by Lindsay Taylor Lawyers delves into this developing area of regulation and outlines the legal measures which are currently available to address light pollution in NSW.
UNDER ONE SKY – IDA’s Annual Dark Sky Conference
IDA is excited to announce that we will end our global conference – Under One Sky 2021 – with an astronaut panel featuring Ron Garan and John Grunsfeld! They will join for a discussion with Mike Simmons (IDA Board of Directors) about their viewpoint from above and why our work on the ground to protect the night is so important. Their experience of the overview effect (a cognitive shift in awareness caused by the experience of seeing the Earth from space) enriches their unique perspectives about why people should care about light pollution. This often-overlooked form of pollution is a part of the overall environmental issues we are all facing. The Earth is fragile, but we can make progress in the right direction if we work together. The global close will be on November 13 at 10:00 PM UTC. You must be registered to attend.
Do brighter, whiter street lights improve road safety?
Would a billion-dollar investment in improved street lighting make Australian roads safer at night? Paul Marchant finds the evidence wanting.
Several years ago, the Australian government received a pitch from an association of public works professionals to spend A$1 billion to upgrade the country’s street lights to white light (typically LEDs). That is a sizeable price tag, but the “Roadmap” document made the claim that if an 8% reduction in night-time road traffic collisions (RTCs) was achieved by adding white light, it would generate cost savings of more than A$500 million per year.
ALAN and Bats. A Case Study in Gdansk, Poland
ALAN present in many cities and towns has a negative impact on numerous organisms that live alongside humans, including bats. Therefore, we investigated if the artificial illumination of the historic Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdańsk, Poland (part of the Natura 2000 network), during nighttime events, which included an outdoor electronic dance music (EDM) festival, might be responsible for increased light pollution and the decline in recent years of the pond bat (Myotis dasycneme).
An assessment of light pollution levels was made using the methods of geographical information system (GIS) and free-of-charge satellite remote sensing (SRS) technology. The authors’ proposal for improvements involved practical recommendations for devising suitable strategies for lighting research and practice in the Natura 2000 Wisłoujście Fortress site located adjacent to urban areas to reduce the potential negative impact of ALAN on bats and their natural habitats.
