Dear Professors,
Having already seen the standard reply you send out regarding light
pollution concerns for this event I hope that you can address some of
the points I raise rather than sending an automated reply.
You are no doubt aware of the work carried out by the International
Dark Sky association in reducing light pollution and education people
about better lighting throughout the world. In doing this work it is
most valuable to have professional physicists and astronomer on our
side. In Ireland for example when the media needs to get an opinion on
light pollution there are professional astronomers and physicists that
they can talk to, all sharing the same opinions on the subject.
Earlier this year the Irish Institute of Physics and the Astronomical
Sciences Group of Ireland devoted almost an hour at their recent
spring to discussing the topic, with a guest especially flown in from
the UK to speak. Your proposed event risks endangering this
relationship and undermining the work carried out by people like
myself.
Although the extra lights on the night would not contribute much to
the overall effect of light pollution, this is not the point. The
point is that after many years of astronomers, physicists, and
enthusiasts arguing for better and more responsible lighting, this
event will go against these ideas and do exactly the opposite to what
it should be advocating. Any future attempt by dark sky activists to
get better lighting will be undermined since the media, governments
and corporations will point to this event as an example of the
hypocrisy of science in telling people to do one thing by making
exceptions for itself. Similarly respected physicists would no longer
have credibility in speaking against light pollution as they would be
seen to be hypocritical.
Bearing this in mind I sincerely hope that you will reconsider this
event and instead consider a more appropriate event for all involved.
For example, may I suggest that instead of turning on lights, people
be encourage to turn them off and go outside to look at the stars. In
April 2005 I think that the planet Jupiter should be prominently
visible in the night sky, people should instead be encouraged to go
and look at this planet, and enthusiastic budding physicists can
observe Jupiter to calculate the speed of light in the same manner as
Danish astronomer Ole Roemer did in the 1670's. This could be
developed into something similar to the calculation of the
Astronomical Unit by the ESO during the recent Venus Transit
www.vt-2004.org
.
If you do proceed with this event I will be unable to support it. As I
have stated above it not to do with just a few lights on one
particular night, rather supporting this event would undermine the
work I do for dark skies by showing a hypocrisy in our attitude.
Recently there was a light show in Dublin to mark the accession of new
states into the EU
(
www.irishastronomy.org/ilpac/Images/dublights.jpg
), we
objected to this, so clearly you can see that we could not support
your similar event. Furthermore as the Irish Section of the
International Dark Skies association we would find it necessary to
object to this with the same vigour we do to other light displays, and
so would be compelled to advise astronomy clubs, Universities,
Institutions, and schools not to take part in the event. We all would
like to see a greater interest in Physics, so hopefully you can devise
an event that all interested groups can support and enjoy.
Regards,
Albert White
--
Deputy Chairperson,
Irish Light Pollution Awareness Campaign,
www.irishastronomy.org/ilpac
Irish Section, International Dark Sky Association,
www.darksky.org
  