Support IDA

[tfwthom]

This came in I'm passing it along:<br /><br />To all,<br /><br />I just got a letter from the IDA reminding me that they need more money and<br />more members in order to continue their efforts to promote better outdoor<br />lighting practices. They asked all members to attempt to recruit at least 2<br />new members. Dave Crawford, IDA's exec director, said "Just Ask"!<br /><br />So, I'm asking any folks who are not already IDA members to consider signing<br />up. An annual membership is only $30. You can register and pay with a<br />credit card online at:<br /><br />http://www.darksky.org/membership/membership.html<br /><br />It is rather depressing that the IDA only has about 10,000 members. That<br />meager number helps explain why relatively little progress has been made to<br />control light pollution. I believe that most astronomy clubs support the<br />IDA from membership dues but that is not nearly enough. Hopefully more<br />amateur astronomers will join up or make a donation on their own.<br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[newtonian]

TFWThom - On caring about light pollution, publicizing the problem and solutions:<br /><br />You may find this quote of interest:<br /><br />First Light-Pollution Law<br />The Czech Republic is the first country with a law prohibiting light pollution, notes the Berliner Morgenpost. The law, known as the Protection of the Atmosphere Act, came into force on June 1, 2002. It has found wide support among astronomers and also the population in general. The law defines light pollution as "every form of illumination by artificial light that is dispersed outside the areas it is dedicated to, particularly if directed above the level of the horizon." Citizens and organizations are obliged to reduce stray light, which impedes observation of the night sky, by using shielded light fixtures. Even prior to June 1, the use of such fixtures in downtown Brno had markedly reduced stray light. "The improvement is spectacular," said Czech astronomer Jan Hollan.<br /><br />- Awake, 1/22/03, p. 29<br /><br />Hopefully you will be less depressed knowing we are publicizing the problem, as in this quote:<br /><br />"A New Light-Pollution Atlas<br /><br />"The Milky Way has vanished," says a report in the journal Science, "not because of some cosmic upheaval, but because the bright lights of our sprawling cities obscure the stars of our galaxy from the view of most Europeans and Americans. This flood of artificial light grieves astronomers because it can interfere with their observations." In order to help frustrated stargazers, scientists in Italy and the United States have compiled a new atlas that charts global light pollution. Unlike previous maps that simply showed the location of the "white lights dotting continents at night," the new atlas, accessible on the Internet, "includes continental maps and a few more detailed ones, for example, showing star visibility from different parts of Europe," says Science.<br /><br />"Awake!," 5/22/02, p.29<br /><br />World's First Dark-Sky Park<br />"Hidden by the glar