Restoring Darkness: Recent Episodes
NAILD
Rachel comes to us from the Sea Turtle Conservancy in Florida. She’s doing her part to protect the turtles in so many ways. She helps to conduct code enforcement workshops for municipal enforcement officers around the state, and she is promoting wildlife-friendly lighting, by following key principles: keeping lights low, shielding them from view, using longer wavelengths, and minimizing unnecessary lighting. Her goal is to reduce light pollution and its impact on wildlife, particularly sea turtles, by promoting responsible lighting practices. Rachel Tighe is a certified lighting specialist I in the lighting industry through the National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors. Rachel has worked for environmental and conservation driven organizations for over 14 years with a focus in minimizing the anthropogenic threats to wildlife and the natural world. She has worked as the Lighting Project Manager for Sea Turtle Conservancy, the oldest sea turtle organization in the world, for over the past seven years. Rachel and her team work to mitigate problematic lights on sea turtle nesting habitat. Connect with Rachel: www.conserveturtles.org @conserveturtles Sponsor: Evluma www.evluma.com
Highlights from the darkness news world are:
- Night Shift Work is Bad for Your Memory
- Giving Insomnia to Molluscs and Rodents
- Circadian Lamps Go to Space
- Progress on a Petition to Change LED Headlights
Highlights from the darkness news word are:
- Blue blocking lenses don't work
- Municipal governments leading on bird safety
- DarkSky's photo contest winners
- Holidays are visible from space
LEDs came along in the early 2000’s. They emitted light. They were energy efficient. What could be bad? Ask Mark Baker who’s highly sensitive to certain LED lights. And there are people worse off than him who cannot neurologically tolerate the type of radiation emitted by LEDs. Imagine if you couldn’t go to a store or walk under street lights lest you get dizzy, acquire a migraine or fall into an epileptic episode. There are thousands of people who can’t leave their house, and now can't even replace their light bulbs with incandescents. And let’s not forget about the natural world where studies on the effects of LEDs have barely scratched the surface. Mark Baker is the President of The Soft Light Foundation, a non-profit organization that advocates for the protection of people and the environment from the harms of visible radiation emitted by products that use Light Emitting Diodes. Mark is the primary author of a primer on the differences between a curved surface emitter and a flat surface emitter. His co-authors include subject matter experts in the fields of physics, engineering, medicine, and light pollution. Connect with Mark: www.softlights.org Soft Lights Foundation - https://www.facebook.com/groups/softlights.org Ban Blinding LEDs - https://www.facebook.com/groups/BanBlindingLEDs Petition to Ban Blinding Headlights: https://www.change.org/p/u-s-dot-ban-blinding-headlights-and-save-lives
Our host, Michael, has learned a lot from reading children's books to his kids. Anna’s book, “Can You See The Stars Tonight?” we’re sure, is no exception. We are always hopeful for the next generation, so let’s teach our children about the impact of light pollution with Anna’s book. And you can’t go wrong with cute little puffins! Anna is a children's book author and illustrator who is passionate about animals and wildlife. She received a first class degree in Illustration from Sheffield Hallam University and a Masters in Children's Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art. Anna's latest picturebook, “Can You See The Stars Tonight?” published by David Fickling Books, is a story about the impact light pollution can have on puffins and what we can do in our own homes to help our local wildlife when it comes to light pollution. Sponsor: Evluma www.evluma.com
Find the latest news in the Restoring Darkness front. Highlights of this episode: - University of Pennsylvania Study Shows Staying Up All Night Might Help with Depression - Mice with High Blood Pressure Die Faster Under Circadian Disruptions - Melatonin-rich diet improves sleep Presented by The Lighting And Darkness Research Foundation https://restoringdarkness.com/donate/
Dr. Darley gives us a new term (that we’re totally stealing!). Instead of describing light pollution to people as too much light, she feels people respond more positively to the problem if you describe it as a “darkness deficiency.” Dr. Darley goes on to explain the hazards of too much light - sorry, of a darkness deficiency - in your environment when you’re trying to sleep, like hormone imbalance, thyroid problems, and cancer risk. If you hold your arm out in the middle of the night and you can see your fingers wriggle, then there is not enough darkness in your room. Dr. Catherine Darley is the leader in natural sleep medicine. She combines her knowledge of sleep and circadian disorders with her training as a naturopathic physician to bridge these two fields. She’s treated patients for over 20 years, along with training healthcare providers in sleep medicine. Dr. Darley now focuses on teaching people sleep skills so they can thrive at home, at work, and have a high quality life. You can find her online at SkilledSleeper.com, on Instagram, and Substack.
If bright light at night bothers you, it is much worse for marine life, and they don’t realize it, they just react. Their instinctual biological processes change in reaction to artificial light and sky glow which then affects the food chain. To add to that, the blue light from LED’s penetrates deeper into the water. The sky glow disrupts biological processes that are guided by moonlight. Dr. Davies and Prof. Smyth are doing the research. Now it’s up to us to take action. Dr Davies is a marine conservation ecologist at the University of Plymouth, UK working. His research seeks to understand the impacts and management of man-made global change on ecosystems, and human-environment interrelationships. He has published research on the impacts and management of a variety of global change issues - most notably Artificial Light at Night (ALAN). Prof. Tim Smyth is the Head of Science for Marine Biogeochemistry and Observations at PML. This involves leading a team of around 20 people ranging from PhD students to experienced senior scientists across a range of disciplines from air-sea exchange, nutrient cycling to molecular science within the broad remit of marine biogeochemistry. His brief also includes oversight of the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) as well as the Western Channel Observatory (WCO) which he has been leading for the past 15 years.
Harold Wallace, Jr., is curator of the Electricity Collections at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Responsible for over 25,000 objects documenting the history of electrical science and technologies, Hal has specialized in the history of electric light and power since joining NMAH in 1995. Hal holds a Ph.D. in public policy / policy history, and an M.A. in the history of technology, both from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He has curated exhibitions and written articles and blogs on the history of several electrical topics. His current exhibitions are Lighting A Revolution and The Electric Dr. Franklin. He serves on the Collections Committee of the Baltimore Museum of Industry and as Smithsonian representative on the board of the Thomas A. Edison Papers Project. Hal is a member the American Historical Association, the American Political Science Association, the Illuminating Engineering Society, and the Society for the History of Technology.
Shannon Willis is an exhibition and graphic designer, originally from Maryland, now residing in North Bethesda. Alongside her life as a designer, she is a devoted pet parent to two small dogs and enjoys diverse creative outlets such as art, design, building, dining out, and horror movies. Shannon's lifelong passion for art and crafts led her to pursue studies in Industrial Design at Virginia Tech and Graphic Design at the Art Institute of Washington. For the past 13 years, she has been an invaluable member of the Museum of Natural History, utilizing her creative prowess to design engaging exhibitions. Shannon's enthusiasm and commitment to her craft drive her to constantly seek new opportunities for growth and expand her knowledge. Her dedication and transformative work leave a lasting impact on design at NMNH, delighting visitors and contributing to the museum's success.
Juliana Olsson is an exhibit writer and editor at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. In order to write all the labels visitors will (hopefully) read, she’s constantly learning about new topics, exploring the collections, and going on field trips to fossil digs and dark sky sites. She holds an M.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. in Film Studies and Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley. In 2023 she celebrated 10 years at the Smithsonian.
It’s been over 5 years since Dr. Kyba was on the Get A Grip On Lighting podcast. Between then and now, we created Restoring Darkness which is a much more appropriate place for Dr. Kyba to be as his research is on skyglow and artificial light at night. He points out that when lighting up a building to make it an experience, it is no longer an experience when you do it EVERY NIGHT! We bet you’ve never thought of the dangers of attracting Mayflies to an illuminated bridge. You can take part in his research by joining the Nachtlicht-BüHNE project, or submitting measurements with the Loss of the Night app on an Android or iOS device. Christopher Kyba is a physicist at the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and Ruhr University Bochum. He has worked on quantification of artificial light in the outdoor environment for over a decade, using ground, air, and space-based techniques, as well as citizen science. He obtained his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006, and his BSc from the University of Alberta in 2000.
Dan is a landscape lighting designer and he is on our side. He tries to stay away from “on at dusk off at dawn” sensors. As Dan says, for good design. you need the darkness. You can’t just pump light into an area and call it good lighting. Good lighting is controlled and does not contribute to light pollution. Dan Jobbins is a lighting designer, based out of New York’s beautiful hudson valley. He graduated from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts with a BFA in theatrical lighting design. He has had a 15+ year career designing lighting for theaters up and down the east coast, as well as for high profile events in the New York metropolitan area. During the covid 19 pandemic and resulting shut downs of arts and entertainment venues Dan pivoted toward landscape lighting, securing a position with one of the oldest landscape lighting companies in the Northeast. He later struck out on his own to form Hudson Valley Holidays which started as a holiday lighting company but has grown to include all manner of outdoor and landscape lighting design. Dan takes pride in placing the highest emphasis on quality design and services within Hudson Valley Holidays, a big part of which is striving for Dark Sky compliance.
Scott Wachter, from the Lighting Industry News Brief (https://naild.org/lighting-industry-news-brief) joins Michael Colligan to bring you the latest news around darkness restoration. Watch for Restoring Darkness Episode 76, out tomorrow. And don't forget to give to The Lighting And Darkness Foundation to fight light pollution. https://restoringdarkness.com/donate
Just like we’ve been saying all along, Todd doesn’t want to take away everyone's light at night. He just wants people to be mindful and reasonable about lowering light pollution. He removed the carriage light above his own garage many years ago. Sure they look nice and classy, but they blast light everywhere. And just like Christmas lights, they don’t need to be on at three in the morning while everyone’s asleep. Todd Burlet is a Delegate for DarkSky International, which has been the world’s leading authority on light pollution since 1988, and the President and Board Member of Starry Skies North, the Minnesota and Mid-Continent chapter of DarkSky International. Starry Skies North is an all-volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit corporation engaged in educational outreach and advocacy in support of their mission to protect the sky, the earth, and all life from Light Pollution. Todd initiated and leads the Mid-Continent Chapter Incubator, a Starry Skies North initiative to support dark-sky advocates in the mid-continent region, which includes 6 states and two Canadian provinces, by providing them tools, training, online resources, and a support community to assist them in their outreach efforts, and to help launch new DarkSky chapters. Todd is a member of the American Astronomical Society, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Society for Light and Lighting.
Scott Wachter, from the Lighting Industry News Brief (https://naild.org/lighting-industry-news-brief) joins Michael Colligan to bring you the latest news around darkness restoration. Watch for Restoring Darkness Episode 75, out soon. And don't forget to give to The Lighting And Darkness Foundation to fight light pollution.
The Lighting And Darkness Foundation is taking on its first project! With your donations (please donate at https://restoringdarkness.com/save-the-night-in-wasatch-back-utah) we can help Shawn and Lisa and the other concerned residents, preserve their Wasatch Back night sky in Utah. Find out what the story is in this podcast. Lisa and Shawn are co-founders of Save Wasatch Back Dark Skies along with several other passionate Wasatch County residents. You can find more information at Savewasatchbackdarkskies.org. Lisa Bahash is an experienced and successful business leader with over 30 years in the automotive industry. While her business acumen has allowed for a successful career, more important to Lisa is her approach to leadership. People and relationships are to be cherished; leadership is a privilege given to those you lead. Outside of her industry, Lisa was on the Board of Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit for several years. She is very passionate about the humane care and treatment of animals and believes that the companionship offered is nature’s sacred gift to humans. Originally from Michigan, Lisa moved to Utah in 2021 as she values the great outdoors and abundant wildlife. Lisa holds a Master of Engineering Management degree from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. While currently retired from her professional career, Shawn Savarino has immersed herself in volunteer opportunities and family. She balances her time between Utah and Texas, her schedule often decided by the football schedule for her alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin. After earning her Master in Professional Accounting degree, Shawn began her career at KPMG as a CPA focused on corporate taxation. That role took her to Prague in the Czech Republic where she undertook many fascinating opportunities, including assisting the Ministry of Finance draft and improve its tax regulations. After spending a decade in the public arm of the profession, Shawn took a position as the CFO for a children’s clothing manufacturer, a role she held for close to ten years before moving with her family to live in Singapore. Beyond her professional career, Shawn has volunteered in various roles including participating on several school boards, chairing multiple large annual fund raisers, and serving as a Child Advocate in the court system. Shawn enjoys seeking new outdoor adventures such as running the Ocean to Ocean race in Thailand, climbing Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia and sleeping under the stars in Utah. Travel, tennis, and time with family and friends are Shawn’s personal passions.
Michael talks with our guests about the new Smithsonian exhibit, “Lights Out: Recovering Our Night Sky. It sounds like this exhibit will convince any skeptic of the importance of restoring the night sky. Watch out for a future episode, live from the Smithsonian. Dr. Kimberly Arcand is a leading expert in astronomy visualization and has been a pioneer in 3D imaging, printing, and extended reality applications with astrophysics data. She has worked for NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory since 1998. Her current research includes sonification of spatial data, machine learning as applied to image processing, and other intersections of emerging technology and astrophysics. Jill Johnson is an exhibit developer and project manager in the Office of Exhibits at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. I have worked here since 1979—44 years! Seven of those were spent with the Marine Systems Laboratory at the museum. She has a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science from Southampton College/Long Island University. Stephen Loring attended Goddard College in Vermont and later the University of Massachusetts in Amherst from whence he got his PhD in 1991. He taught anthropology and northern studies at Middlebury College and the University of South Carolina prior to accepting a job with the Smithsonian’s Arctic Studies Center in 1992
Join us for our inaugural episode of The Darkness News Update. Scott Wachter, from the Lighting Industry News Brief (https://naild.org/lighting-industry-news-brief) joins Michael Colligan to bring you the latest news around darkness restoration. Watch for future episodes to coincide with Restoring Darkness podcast episodes.
Michael welcomes a fellow Canadian to the podcast. Michael and Dawn discuss the never ending pursuit of continuous improvement, the interchangeable use of the terms sustainability and energy efficiency (they are NOT the same!), the use of cheap and energy efficient lighting creating more light pollution, and the legal precedents that are inadvertently sustaining light pollution. They even touch on Capitalism and Socialism, but you’ll have to listen to the episode to hear that part.
A recognized industry leader in circadian lighting design, Dawn is driven by a passion for designing lighting solutions that promote health and wellness. Dawn’s 20-year career is defined by her dedication to continuous improvement and willingness to challenge the status quo. She was one of the first Lighting Designers in Canada to achieve the Certified Lighting Designer (CLD) credential, adding her name to the CLD database among some of the world’s most accomplished designers.
Dr. Randle comes to us from the U.K. based Butterfly Conservation, one of the largest insect conservation organizations in the world. Dr. Randle points out that artificial light at night affects pheromone production in some female moths and sperm count in some males. Along with all the other environmental pressure, light at night has caused a 32% decline in population since the 1970’s. Thanks to the thousands of volunteers and data sets stretching back decades, you can learn all about them in The Atlas Of Britain & Ireland's Larger Moths. Dr. Randle is the ecological lead for Butterfly Conservations’ Big Butterfly Count, an annual UK citizen science survey which helps to assess the health of our environment and connect people to nature. Prior to working for Butterfly Conservation she was a Field Ecologist, working in a range of different habitats, counting and measuring a variety of different plants and animals for scientific research. In her spare time Dr. Randle enjoys riding her horse, photography, star and moon gazing and writing to try to make sense of a crazy world!
Mark originally wanted to be a painter and painting to him was like subtracting light as paint is added to a white canvas. Conversely, in lighting, one is adding light to darkness. And this led Mark to understand you can’t talk about light without talking about darkness. Michael discusses with Mark how we have lost much of our understanding of the value of darkness as lights have gotten cheaper and more efficient. Mark formed Speirs Major with Keith Bradshaw which grew out of Speirs and Major Associates. Speirs Major are recognized as being one of the world’s leading lighting design practices, using light and darkness to enhance the experience of the visual environment.
Bernd is an astrophotographer based out of Cologne, Germany. Bernd tells Michael how hard it is to find dark skies for his astrophotography. Even driving 2 days from Cologne, he can’t find an ideal dark area to take pictures. Bernd has taken photos from high in the Austrian mountains, but the bright lights of the ski hill grooming machines moving up and down the hills is hard to avoid with his time lapse photography. Bernd Pröschold is an astrophotographer and author. From 1998 to 2003 he studied communication science, sociology and cultural studies at the University of Münster, Germany. Shortly after he started to produce astronomical time lapse videos, an activity which turned into his profession very soon. His footage has been distributed by TV stations, planetariums and picture agencies.
Bernd is an astrophotographer based out of Cologne, Germany. Bernd tells Michael how hard it is to find dark skies for his astrophotography. Even driving 2 days from Cologne, he can’t find an ideal dark area to take pictures. Bernd has taken photos from high in the Austrian mountains, but the bright lights of the ski hill grooming machines moving up and down the hills is hard to avoid with his time lapse photography. Bernd Pröschold is an astrophotographer and author. From 1998 to 2003 he studied communication science, sociology and cultural studies at the University of Münster, Germany. Shortly after he started to produce astronomical time lapse videos, an activity which turned into his profession very soon. His footage has been distributed by TV stations, planetariums and picture agencies.
Wind turbines are a zero emissions solution to energy needs. But with solutions, new problems always arise. We’ve all seen the giant wind turbines towering into the sky and with any tower, there is a risk for air traffic. And how do we solve that problem? With lights. Sometimes blinking. And that has been a problem for residents in Germany who live near them. Thomas Herrholz and Dark Sky GmbH from Germany is a company that has been developing techniques to activate obstacle lighting only when it is really needed for air traffic. Their solution enabled them to realize that the lights on some wind-turbines can be turned off up to 98% of the night time. So most of the time the obstacles are illuminated for nothing!
Wind turbines are a zero emissions solution to energy needs. But with solutions, new problems always arise. We’ve all seen the giant wind turbines towering into the sky and with any tower, there is a risk for air traffic. And how do we solve that problem? With lights. Sometimes blinking. And that has been a problem for residents in Germany who live near them. Thomas Herrholz and Dark Sky GmbH from Germany is a company that has been developing techniques to activate obstacle lighting only when it is really needed for air traffic. Their solution enabled them to realize that the lights on some wind-turbines can be turned off up to 98% of the night time. So most of the time the obstacles are illuminated for nothing!
Mark discusses with Michael, practicing mindfulness when under the night sky. He proposes that astronomy was the first science, out of necessity. The night sky is the only view that hasn’t changed and now a large portion of humans can’t even see it. Mark says, whatever your view - clouds, streetlights - just be in the moment and enjoy what you have. (But still, let’s eliminate light pollution!) Mark Westmoquette is a mindful stargazing expert, astronomer, author and Zen teacher. Mark holds a PhD in Astrophysics and was a professional astronomer before switching gears, and now teaches yoga and mindfulness full-time. Mark has been studying Zen with Zen Master Daizan Skinner from Zenways for over 10 years.
Mark discusses with Michael, practicing mindfulness when under the night sky. He proposes that astronomy was the first science, out of necessity. The night sky is the only view that hasn’t changed and now a large portion of humans can’t even see it. Mark says, whatever your view - clouds, streetlights - just be in the moment and enjoy what you have. (But still, let’s eliminate light pollution!) Mark Westmoquette is a mindful stargazing expert, astronomer, author and Zen teacher. Mark holds a PhD in Astrophysics and was a professional astronomer before switching gears, and now teaches yoga and mindfulness full-time. Mark has been studying Zen with Zen Master Daizan Skinner from Zenways for over 10 years.
Michael and John discuss with Etta how to engage people with Dark Skies so as to bring them back. Etta is taking steps to do just that with her company, Visit Dark Skies, where you can immerse yourself into a true nature experience with her audio-guided stargazing. Etta Dannemann, Dipl.-Ing., has been in the lighting industry for 10 years before founding VISIT DARK SKIES GmbH, a company dedicated to the experience of the natural night sky. As a lighting designer, she has been interested in light and darkness and especially in light-related biological processes like the darkness adaptation of the human eye.
Michael and John discuss with Etta how to engage people with Dark Skies so as to bring them back. Etta is taking steps to do just that with her company, Visit Dark Skies, where you can immerse yourself into a true nature experience with her audio-guided stargazing. Etta Dannemann, Dipl.-Ing., has been in the lighting industry for 10 years before founding VISIT DARK SKIES GmbH, a company dedicated to the experience of the natural night sky. As a lighting designer, she has been interested in light and darkness and especially in light-related biological processes like the darkness adaptation of the human eye.
There’s air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution. Why hasn’t light pollution been recognised the same way? This is the question Michael Colligan and John Bullock tackle with Yana. Of course it takes awareness, but also commitment. And it just might be that the best way to get commitment is to get it in the books legally. It’s a complex problem that Yana is dedicated to studying, and maybe… solving? We didn’t even get into her research on space law. We’re going to have Yana back! Yana Yakushina is a practicing lawyer and researcher in the field of environmental and space law. Currently, Yana is working on her Ph.D. thesis on the legal recognition of light pollution as an environmental problem at the University of Ghent (Belgium).
There’s air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution. Why hasn’t light pollution been recognised the same way? This is the question Michael Colligan and John Bullock tackle with Yana. Of course it takes awareness, but also commitment. And it just might be that the best way to get commitment is to get it in the books legally. It’s a complex problem that Yana is dedicated to studying, and maybe… solving? We didn’t even get into her research on space law. We’re going to have Yana back! Yana Yakushina is a practicing lawyer and researcher in the field of environmental and space law. Currently, Yana is working on her Ph.D. thesis on the legal recognition of light pollution as an environmental problem at the University of Ghent (Belgium).
As you’ve heard on this podcast before, existing satellites are incapable of detecting the blue light of LED’s and thus produce incomplete imagery of light pollution. Ken explains to Michael how he and his colleagues are sending balloons almost 30 kilometers into the sky and beginning to map light pollution in a very unique way.
Ken Walczak is the Senior Manager of Far Horizons at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago - a hands-on science, engineering and research program for students, volunteers and the public. He is a board member of the International Dark-Sky Association and an associate member of the IES.
Michael discusses with Catherine Pérez Vega the question: Is light a pollutant? Catherine is researching the effects of artificial light on organisms and there is little doubt that it is. And there’s little doubt that it affects the organisms called humans, as well. Obviously modern society needs some artificial light at night, but all the other organisms don’t. As Catherine says, “how do we apply artificial lighting for our benefit, but at the same time take care of the night time?” Catherine is currently a Doctoral candidate in Biology at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany with her research taking place at the Light Pollution and Ecophysiology research group of Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). Her work involves the interphase of ecology and architectural lighting to mitigate environmental solutions for urban lighting design applications.
This special release of our series features Diane Knutson, a regional dark sky advocate / business owner turned Dark Sky International Board President. In this episode Greg Ehrich and Michael attempt to disentangle the need for jargon as a sales gimmick and the hurdle of hurdles jargon puts in the way of advocates and educators. Whether we end up calling what we do Night Sky Protection, Night Time Restoration or just Flipping the Switch the value of darkness at night continues to be there for the world to rediscover.
Michael and John are thrilled to have Professor Foster on the podcast. He brings his deep scientific knowledge and understanding of circadian photobiology. Russell tells us about his discovery of the third photoreceptor in the eye for which he got a lot of pushback from the scientific community in the 90’s. They don’t push back anymore. Professor Foster is the Head of Oxford’s Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, the founder and Director of the Sleep and Circadian Research Institute and is a Fellow of Brasenose College Oxford. His research addresses how circadian rhythms and sleep are generated and regulated and what happens when these systems fail as a result of societal pressures, ageing and disease.
In this episode you get three unique perspectives on urban lighting. Co-host Michael Colligan in Canada, co-host John Bullock in the U.K and guest Kate Hickcox from The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They discuss the challenges of lighting populated areas. Will more light decrease crime? Will less light? Perhaps it has to do with the kind of lighting. Listen to this, then join the conversation. Kate Hickcox joined PNNL as a Lighting Research Scientist in 2020. She is a creative thinker in the field of lighting, with over 18 years of experience in both lighting research and lighting design. No matter which hat she’s wearing, her goals are simple – to provide equitable and universal lighting solutions that support humans and the environment. Kate’s unique background blends the artistic with the practical and allows for discovery of unique design solutions and innovative research-based strategies.
As Bastian Groiss says, people see light as an enabler for vision. But light - sunlight in particular - is so much more. It triggers hormonal reactions, allows your immune system to recharge and gives the mitochondria the energy to repair your eyes. Of course healthy light during the day allows healthy darkness at night to do its thing. And stop wearing sunglasses! Bastian is of German origins with a rural upbringing. He is a former project manager, self taught wood worker and handyman, spiritual explorer, student of the Diamond Approach, ambassador for regenerative agriculture, circadian rhythms, natural light and reconnecting with nature.
John Bullock, guest co-host on this episode, asks the question, “How do we shift the argument so that we can start to talk about the reality of what we experience rather than the propaganda of what people tell us is a problem.” And from there, Michael, John and Nona discuss the history of street lighting, the unproven link between light and safety and the spiritual notion of light equaling safety. Perhaps, as Nona says, we need to reveal the “invisible infrastructures.”
Nona Schulte-Römer is currently working and teaching as senior researcher at Humboldt University in Berlin in a social scientific project on the public understanding of 5G and light exposure in urban contexts. She has a background in humanities, sociology and journalism. In her previous research she has focused on public lighting, light pollution, sustainable chemistry and aquatic micropollutants. Her focus is thereby how these phenomena become issues of public concern or remain ‘invisible’ infrastructures.
Mentions in the podcast:
Wolfgang Schivelbusch, “Disenchanted Night: The Industrialization of Light in the Nineteenth Century”, University of California Press
Our citizen science project website:
https://nachtlicht-buehne.de/startseite/nightlights/
Our citizen science app can be found and tested or used here: https://lichter.nachtlicht-buehne.de/
Michael and Michael - or “Marlin” as he likes to be referred to - delve into the practical and spiritual aspects of restoring darkness. Practical, as in not running someone over because you can’t see them from the glare of car and street lights, and spiritual, as in seeing the stars and the Milky Way allowing us to connect with the universe and our ancestors.
Michael Marlin (aka Marlin) has been actively involved in Dark Sky advocacy for 35 years, initially as a theatrical director/producer of an international touring show that raised awareness of the loss of darkness due to light pollution, (LUMA: Art in Darkness) and today as a dark sky ambassador for the International Astronomical Union and International Dark-Sky Association. Marlin is the author of“Astrotourism: Star Gazers, Eclipse Chasers, and the Dark Sky Movement” the first book on the topic of the new emerging market of ‘Star Tourism’.
Here on Restoring Darkness, we’ve talked about the impact of light pollution, how to restore darkness, and now, in this episode, Michael discusses, with Dr. Stone, the ethical aspects of restoring darkness and maintaining lights at night.
Dr. Taylor Stone is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Science and Ethics, University of Bonn. He studied architecture and worked in the environmental non-profit sector before completing a PhD in Ethics of Technology at Delft University of Technology. His research focuses on the ethics of urban lighting, and what it means to value – and ultimately design for – darkness. Taylor’s writing has appeared in a variety of academic journals, and in 2019 he received a Recognition Award for Research from the Professional Lighting Design Convention (PLD-C).
In part 2 of this podcast (find part 1 here: https://restoringdarkness.com/episodes/41-from-prison-yards-to-national-parks), Michael and Tim continue their conversation. Tim gives his perspective on outdoor lighting and energy savings in Massachusetts while Michael does the same from his Ontario Canada perspective.
Tim is the Vice President of the Massachusetts chapter of the International Dark-sky Association.
Find Part 1 here: https://restoringdarkness.com/episodes/41-from-prison-yards-to-national-parks
Connect with Tim:
https://idamass.wordpress.com
web.mit.edu/wallace
Sponsor: Evluma www.evluma.com
This one was so interesting, Michael let it go for an hour and 15 minutes. So we’ve broken it into 2 parts. In this, part 1, the conversation ranges from clean, affordable energy to controls to a popcorn analogy and the “windows effect.” Tim is the Observatory Manager and Technical Instructor at MIT's Wallace Astrophysical Observatory. Watch for Part 2, available soon.
Connect with Tim:
https://idamass.wordpress.com
web.mit.edu/wallace
Sponsor: Evluma www.evluma.com
Ron installs and commissions lighting controls. He is an integrator who knows his stuff. In this Restoring Darkness episode, he and Michael make the case for controls in exterior lighting systems and wonder why the lighting industry largely ignores this application. Ron Kuszmar oversees Port’s Architectural and Theatrical Lighting Design & Installation departments, as well as their Lighting Control Systems and Equipment Sales teams.
Terry brings his vast amount of knowledge and experience to the question of industry alignment in the quest to reduce light pollution. Michael talks with Terry about the importance of educating everyone, from manufacturers and distributors right down to municipalities, which are some of the worst offenders. Let’s get on board with the 6 strategies for darkness restoration and preservation!
Terry is involved in illuminating engineering/lighting design, lighting education and lighting research. His professional career of 60+ years includes GE Lighting at Nela Park where he was Manager of the GE Lighting Institute. In 1998, he started his own consulting company, Lighting Ideas, Inc and became involved in lighting research as Director of the Lighting Research Office for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). These days, in addition to consulting work, he acts on behalf of the American Lighting Association as their Director of Engineering and Technology and is the Executive VP of the J.H. McClung Lighting Research Foundation.
Where does the resistance to the adoption of darkness friendly lighting come from? Michael poses this question to Peter Brown. Michael and Peter discuss how and if it’s even possible to get the industry on board.
With over thirty years in the lighting industry, Mr. Brown has sales and marketing experience in distribution, manufacturing, auditing, design and installation; both in the C&I and public sector markets.
Scientific coordinator for the Mont-Megantic International Dark Sky Reserve, Rémi Boucher has been passionate about the starry sky and the night experience for many years. Do people believe that light pollution is actually pollution or a metaphor? Michael and Rémi dive into this question and tackle the complexities of maneuvering through municipal and state/provincial governments, environmentalists, lighting manufacturers and distributors, private landowners and… you can see how complex this is. Listen to Restoring Darkness and then help us bring back the night sky.
Twitter : @remiboucher
Personnal website (photography) : remiboucherphoto.com
Work website (dark sky reserve) : meganticdarksky.org
Abdul Dremali is an Palestinian/Egyptian artist with a passion for the night sky. Currently based in Reno, Nevada, he travels the world in search of dark skies for his astrophotography. Abdul advocates some sensible solutions for restoring darkness. We should all follow his example of his relationship with the moon and the stars. And check out his photos at what is perhaps the suavest URL ever - abdul.cool
Hannah Moon is a PhD Candidate at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa in Dr. Megan Porter’s vision lab. Her work focuses on understanding the physiological and molecular aspects of light perception in birds and has won multiple awards at scientific conferences. In other words, she’s trying to understand what birds are seeing. As you’ll hear, it goes beyond just the molecular structure of the bird's eyes. And yes, it’s but another species that can’t make it to the sea because of our nonchalance towards light pollution.
Dr. Meredith Kernbach is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg in the lab of Dr. Mya Breitbart. For her doctoral dissertation, she studied how light pollution may affect zoonotic disease dynamics, specifically West Nile virus in House sparrows. Dr. Kernbach has found that even low light levels have allowed sparrows to hold the disease longer which means more mosquitos acquire it. And you can guess what that means for us. Turn off your lights!
Dr. Andreas Jechow is an interdisciplinary physicist with a broad expertise in photonics, the science of light. Earlier in his career Andreas worked in laser physics and quantum optics, for example on imaging the "shadow of a single atom" with lasers. In 2015, Andreas transitioned to environmental sciences where he applies his knowledge of light in research on light pollution. Some of the fascinating studies Andreas is involved in include the impact of light on bats and insects and also on aquatic ecosystems. You’ll love the story of his daughter’s astute observation of the moon, and you’ll be jealous to hear that the city of Berlin where he lives is one of the darkest cities in Europe.
Dr. Sam Illingworth is an Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University, UK. He is a leading expert in using poetry to develop a dialogue between scientists and non-scientists. Sam write’s books, tweets, blogs, composes poetry, podcasts, creates games and still finds time for running. If you want to engage your left AND right brain, give this episode a listen.
Gail Walker is the founder of Nantucket Lights, an all-volunteer citizen advocacy group recently formed to combat the growing light pollution on Nantucket, the island off the coast of Massachusetts that is a popular summer destination for many. A former litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice, she began working on light pollution issues there after retiring a few years ago. Gail discusses with Jane how she uses her litigation skills to convince people on Nantucket Island to take steps to preserve the night sky. With a yearly influx of up to 50,000 seasonal residents each year, it is a challenge to simply enforce the Light Ordinance Bylaws. Will Gail get it done? Listen to this episode and you be the judge.
Correction: Gail reached out to us after our enlightening podcast on all things Nantucket to offer a small correction. In the pressure of the moment, she misspoke and stated that Nantucket is 18 miles long; it is actually 14 miles long. Jane also did not get the name of the children's book she mentioned quite right. For those who are interested, it is Skywachter by Jamie Hogan.
Hilding Neilson is an interdisciplinary scientist currently working with the David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto and is Mi’kmaw from the Qalipu First Nation band. Hilding is working at the intersection of science, astronomy and Indigenous knowledge. He tells us some fascinating Indigenous stories about the constellations, and how many more have been lost and overshadowed over time by what he refers to as “Astro-colonialism.” Hilding also tells us about his favourite star, Polaris, and why our sun is a “weird” star.
Dr. Tyler Nordgren is an artist, author, astronomer, and night sky ambassador. He holds a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Cornell University where he did work on dark matter as well as a B.A. in Physics from Reed College. In this episode, we discuss the role of his artwork in public education about the night skies, how inhabiting Mars is a longshot with questionable benefits, and you won't want to miss Tyler's description of solar eclipses and why they are so important for humanity.
Megan Porter PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research program is focused on understanding the evolution of animal eye diversity, particularly from a molecular perspective. In this episode, Megan tells us about the vastly different vision perceptions that animals have from humans and the massive impact light pollution has on their vision. Wait till you hear about the Mantis Shrimp.
Douglas Arion, PhD is the founder and director of Mountains of Stars, a public science outreach and education program that engages the public with ‘environmental awareness from a cosmic perspective’. In this episode, Douglas logically explains why all other living creatures are equal to humans. He warns us of the pitfalls of the plethora of satellites that are going to be orbiting earth. And you’re going to want to order the Galileoscope, a VERY affordable telescope that Douglas helped create and bring to market in order to bring the night sky to the less financially fortunate around the world.
Dr. Micah Brodsky is a wildlife veterinarian who focuses on marine animal medicine, research, and conservation and is the Director of Conservation Medicine at Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response and a lecturer at the University of Hawaiʻi. Dr. Brodsky tells us about the dire consequences of light pollution on Wedgetail Shearwater birds, sea turtles and Monk Seals, to name a few, in Hawai’i. As he says, it’s not Disney out there!
Kelly Beatty has been explaining the science and wonder of astronomy to the public since 1974. An award-winning writer and communicator, he specializes in planetary science and space exploration as Senior Editor for Sky & Telescope magazine. Kelly talks about the lack of blue light detection in most satellites leading to under-reported levels of light pollution, and he touches on the ongoing bug apocalypse. And you’re not going to want to miss the next eclipse after you hear about his eclipse-chasing adventures over the Antarctic.
Bettymaya Foott works for the International Dark-Sky Association as Director of Engagement. Preserving dark skies is her life goal and she finds that astrophotography is the most poignant way to express a love for the night, as well as educate about the impacts of light pollution. If you want to take some great photos of the night sky, listen to Bettymaya here for some of the best places to go and amazing tips and tricks for astrophotography.
Ashley is the Director of Conservation for the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) where she collaborates with advocates and volunteers around the world to help them promote effective uses of outdoor lighting and protect pristine dark skies. Ashley tells us about her work in dark sky awareness and education through the lens of Sensory Ecology. And listen to her great plumbing analogy for wasting light.
Dr. Fischer operates The Zoological Lighting Institute, a 501 c(3) dedicated to supporting the sciences of light and life through the arts for animal welfare and wildlife conservation. This one is broad ranging. What are the five domains of animal welfare? What is a ZALA station? And why should banks become bird friendly? To find out, give this episode a listen.
Samyukta is an advocate with the International Dark Sky Association, and a member of their International Committee. She currently works in Slovenia, designing experiences to help people connect with darkness and the night sky. Have you ever heard of Forest Bathing? Well Samyukta can design a dark sky experience where you can go “Star Bathing.” Give this a listen and you’ll learn about “archeoastronomy” and “ethnoastronomy.”
If you were fascinated with the previous episode with Peter, listen to this one. He’s an expert in the field of human perception, but when you’re talking about bringing back the night sky, you’re bound to go into weird and wonderful areas of conversation. This episode touches on flotation tanks, meditation and lucid dreaming. The hour will fly by.
Dr. Rajaram Bhagavathula is a Senior Research Associate in the Division of Vehicle, Driver, & System Safety at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Dr. Bhagavathula has conducted some fascinating studies on the effects of light on drivers. He talks about the effects of glare and light bands on driver behaviour, the hypnotic effect, the moth effect, dashboard lights… you'll never drive the same again.
Robert is the founder and CEO of the Canadian Scotobiology Group Inc. that raises awareness of the impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) on wildlife and human health. Robert talks about “Eco Lights,” how much light you actually need in order to read, the shelf life of hormones and many other fascinating darkness related topics. He even references the Moody Blues.
Peter has a PhD in Psychology studying human perception, action, and the link between them, with over a decade of experience in conducting research in these topics. Blue light, glare bombs, perception, infrared medicine...these are just a few of the fascinating things touched upon. We only scratched the surface with Peter. He’ll be back.
Andy has been involved in astronomy education and outreach for over 25 years, and in the planetarium field for over 20. Andy tells us about his successful techniques for teaching kids about the night sky. He’s also had some wins in cases involving “light privilege” and just plain ignorance. Inspiring.
Barry Johnson is the volunteer webmaster for the Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council, as well as a lecturer and consultant on outdoor lighting issues. In his retirement, Barry is a crusader against light trespass and pollution. If you live in Pennsylvania and your neighbor’s flood light illuminates your bedroom wall, give Barry and his fellow POL Council members a call.
Contact Barry @ http://www.polcouncil.org/
Valerie Stimac Bailey is a travel, space, and astrotourism writer. She founded Space Tourism Guide in 2017, and her first book Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism was published by Lonely Planet in 2019. Valerie thinks that space travel will be available as a “bucket list” goal to the average person in the not too distant future. In the meantime, let’s make the night sky accessible to everyone so we can all experience “the Milky Way effect.”
Deep Anand is an astronomy lover and dark sky enthusiast. Deep has been working to spread awareness about light pollution, from his home base in Delhi India. Deep is passionate about bringing the night sky back for the children. Maybe he’ll even get this issue onto the Prime Minister of India's desk. Deep has even written poetry about the night sky and the stars. And get this - he’s only 17!
Dr. George Schaaf is a veterinary pathologist working in the Comparative Medicine department at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr. Schaaf studies the effects of light on animals and transfers the learnings to human physiology. You’ll hear about the effects of light and glare on deer, chickens and Syrian hamsters - as well as your beloved pets. He tells us why night matters for animals and about his efforts towards “re-wilding” the environment.
Dajana is a teaching assistant and PhD student at the Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management at the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad, Serbia. She is passionate about preserving the night sky and “bringing back the stars to our kids!”. Hear about her creativity in teaching about the night sky using animals, astro hikes, jazz and shared gratitude. You’ll be inspired.
Ryan Andreasen is the founder of Night Sky Science (https://nightskyscience.com/). Astrophotography and Night Sky Preservation is Ryan’s main mission along with getting folks to look up at night. In this episode you’ll hear about the wonder of “touching” the Orion Nebula and about how the night sky can induce powerful emotions. When advocating for dark skies, avoiding words like “dark” or “pollution” can help bureaucrats accept the message. You’ll even hear Michael read some T.S. Elliot. This is a good one.
Mark Clipsham - Architect, builder, consultant, master planner. While battling through his allergies, Mark has a thing or two to say about the growth economy, the constant drive for profit and what drives him nuts about the current state of lighting. Mark offers some ideas on sustaining the environment and bringing back the dark skies.
Deborah Burnett, ASID, AASM, is an internationally recognized registered design professional, Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the field of Light + Health, and member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Deborah is going to let you in on some fascinating facts about the “spring surge,” proper lighting in horse stalls, the moon’s importance in photosynthesis, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and how the industry selling lighting for your circadian rhythms has become a racket.
Check out Frank’s Night Sky Resource Center (www.nightskyresourcecenter.org) for some awesome astrophotography. Frank advocates seeing the night sky as a resource just like water and air. He tells us about his personal sense of “awe” in seeing the night sky and how you too can lose your self awareness in experiencing the sublime. It’s better than Ayahuasca tea!
Sponsored by Keystone www.keystonetech.com
https://youtu.be/Adx11FQQ2ek
Jim is one of the world’s top authorities on lighting design and applied illuminating engineering. He invented the BUG system that directly affects dark skies. Jim tells us how many birds are killed by the Twin Towers light columns and how vertical light is better than horizontal light. Listen to what happened when Jim joined the board of IES, or when WELL inspectors asked him to close the blinds, or what happened when a cheap metal halide bulb exploded. Don’t mess around with Jim!
If you have crappy sleep or like wearing sunglasses you should probably listen to this. Dr. Rosenthal talks about sleep apnea and electric blue light, hormones and electric blue light, melatonin, proteins, cancer and well, electric blue light...you see where we’re going with this. You need to give this one a listen!
Astrophysicist Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel has been involved in light pollution issues since the mid-1990s and has contributed to over 100 articles, many related to light pollution. He is the leader of “Cities at Night,” a citizen-supported project coordinated with NASA and other space agencies that use ISS night imagery to raise light pollution awareness.
Alejandro discusses his personal experiences with light pollution, and his analysis of pictures of cities at night taken from the International Space Station. These pictures led to a discussion on crime statistics and its relation to electric outdoor light at night. European cities with significantly varying amounts of outdoor light at night had no noticeable difference in levels of violent crime. While this observation is anecdotal, it leads to the conclusion that more study is needed to challenge, not confirm, the standard assumption that more electric light means less violence and crime. It was further postulated that the reverse may be true.
Harun Mehmedinovic is an astrophotographer, speaker, documentary filmmaker and dark sky advocate. He finds his deepest connections to nature while looking up at night and is doing his best to spread the word and save it for everyone.
In our conversation we discussed his status as a ‘hack’ compared with night-time photographers from the scientific community, the pale imitation of daytime we’re creating in our cities, the value of travel, how his work does seem to unify everything, his ideas about working with police and security experts, and plus fun fact about fireflies.
Find more from Harun at his website
Sponsored by https://www.RabLighting.com/darksky
Ruskin Hartley, Executive Director of the International Dark Sky Association joins us to discuss his work and experiences in the association.
Right now the IDA is working to grow beyond their roots in amateur astronomers in several directors. The group is forging partnerships with other bodies with an interest in lighting to further their goals, looking at the input of ecologists and medical experts, broadening the ethnic and gender diversity within the organisation, working with designers to understand how to light outside with quality and responsibility in mind, and reaching out to regulators to keep the sky dark and the parts of the ground lit appropriately.
Beyond the organization he talks about how we have the tools at hand to improve light at night through controls, teaching everyone about what they're missing in a post-LED boom world and his own personal encounters with the value of a night sky.
Sponsored by: http://www.rablighting.com/darksky
After a successful run of special releases on Get a Grip on Lighting (https://getagriponlighting.com/) Jane Slade and Michael Colligan have launched a new podcast series about dark sky.
Jane has been writing and speaking about the need for darkness in design for almost exactly five years and Michael has been trying to break into the movement from the distribution side for the past two.
This conversation between the two gets into their histories with the movement, what they believe and how this will inform the new series.
Adding more and bluer light to nights around the world has had numerous unforeseen side effects in wildlife, human health, aesthetics, and other deeper dimensions.
We need to confront this problem we’ve been neglecting, this series will be our part.
Sponsored by Rab Lighting https://www.rablighting.com/darksky
Visit our show’s link tree for audio feeds and social media channels https://linktr.ee/S4Darkness
Revisit our other dark sky conversations:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsdHE2gsiCv4Q_Wjc1BNpAvvc68KPCXRe