Just sent this in. Btw, I mailed David last night to check if he had been misquoted and to fill him in on ILPAC (and the CfDS) position on the Bill, as well as to let him know what ILPAC is up to.
Cheers,
~Al
Dear Editor,
In Mary Russell's article "Turned Off By Too Much Light", December
11th, David Moore is quoted as saying that for astronomers "light
pollution here is not a huge problem". Light pollution is a very real
and growing problem for Irish astronomers both amateur and
professional. Had the three wise men been guided to present day Dublin
by following a star they might have lost sight of it in the orange sky
glow by the time they reached Dun Laoghaire.
Thankfully others see light pollution as a problem and are taking
steps to reduce it. Kerry County Council's development plan for
example requires that applicants "demonstrate that the lighting scheme
proposed is the minimum needed for security and working purposes.".
It should be stressed that Astronomy is a relatively minor
consideration in reducing light pollution. The benefits are mainly
economic. The city of Calgary, Canada is currently in the process of
replacing the cities street lighting with non light polluting
fixtures. A move that the city expect will save them over EUR1 million
per year in electricity.
Mr. Moore's comment on driving to dark skies gives the impression that
astronomers are people with telescopes who can drive to dark skies. We
must remember that children in our town and cities who look up to the
sky are also astronomers. In city centers these children can only see
a few tens of stars, whereas in rural areas they could see several
thousand. If we are not more careful with our lighting children may
never see the full beauty of the night sky, and our electricity and
pollution bills will rise.
Yours Sincerely,
Albert White,
  