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See a presentation on this at the 2018 joint BAA/AAVSO meeeting
https://britastro.org/event/baa-aavso-joint-meeting-on-variable-stars
Mario Motta – American Medical Association statement on street lighting
There could be a video of it somewhere on the website
Unfortunately, when it comes to light pollution here things are getting worse by the day. Surely you are familiar with the cycling event called Giro d’Italia Giro d’Italia. You also know that the cyclist who wins a stage will wear the ‘maglia rosa’ (pink jersey). The finish of the stage on 11 May 2024 will be in Prati di Tivo, a ski resort at an altitude of 1600 m above sea level just below the slopes of Corno Grande. The picture is the Corno Grande seen from Prati di Tivo. Corno Grande belongs to the Gran Sasso d’Italia mountain chain, it is the highest peak (2912 m) on the peninsula, populated by foxes, chamois, bears, wolves, snakes, wild boars, mice even on the peak you can see, lynxes, a wide variety of birds (eagles, crows, buzzards etc.). Well, brilliant idea from the organisers, guess what it is? Illuminating the whole of Corno Grande in pink! If this is done, there is no doubt that it will only be the first timid step towards an even worse process of not only light pollution of the mountain. Are we stupid or reckless enough?
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I also suffer from terrible light pollution but as an expert in some aspects of lighting, including photobiological safety, I feel I should should dispel some false assertions. There is absolutely no evidence that white light LEDs, either warm white or cold white, cause cancer and such stories fall squarely under “fake news”. There is evidence in humans and animals for them affecting circadian rhythms but it requires you to stare at them for hours and hence most people are unaffected. Also, when addressing light concerns we should separate effects that take place in the atmosphere, like scattering, and these that take place in the eye, like glare.
I don’t see any convincing arguments for using LED lights with a high blue spectral content for outdoor lighting and many reasons why it should not be used. Why any council lighting engineers should still be pushing back on this these days when alternatives with a lower blue content are available is beyond me
Here is his Mario Motta’s review from a US perspective.
https://www.mariomottamd.com/street-lighting/They push back because they are cheaper and the number of lights replaced is bigger if they use the bluer lights. The number of lights replaced is an easy metric for “progress” achieved.
Recently, a sports field I occasionally drive to, to take pictures upgraded their lights. I asked if they would be animal/insect/bird friendly and they said “Yes”. 6 months later I got an email from them apologising that the quotes they got back for animal friendly lighting had proved unaffordable for them – a charity. Happily they usually go off about 10pm.
I read these remarks of yours with great interest, and I am actually amazed that such educated and reasonable people exist. You speak of respect for animals even with enlightenment. How nice it would be if it came to that in my region too. Here, in Gran Sasso, wild animals of various kinds abound, but there is no consideration or respect for them. The fox is bad because it plunders hen houses, the wolf is the bad wolf from the Little Red Riding Hood tale. Not to mention the poor bear that even enters some villages in the national park and arouses keen interest among tourists. Two months ago, a bear with two cubs approached the fence of a house; the owner shot it twice in the back. The poor animal left the two cubs at the mercy of anyone, even wolves. Imagine if our administrators, our politicians, our technicians and how many others would dwell on blue light pollution and the effects on mammals (including humans) and insects. In my city, the old sodium-vapour street lamps have been replaced by LEDs. In an unused car park of 100X80 m2 there are 54 of them! Many point at 45°. Some lampposts also stand radiantly in the forecourt of the astronomical observatory at Campo Imperatore. Are we talking about a starry sky? For many it is something that does not exist. Faced with this marasmus, one should only do two things: be ashamed and correct oneself. But who does?
The Astronomical Observatory at Campo Imperatore, today 30 minutes after sunset.
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Unfortunately as a deep sky visual observer I would say that the best has passed. We rarely, if ever now, get the transparent skies we used to and the skies are often murky, I guess with more water vapour and particulates for the light pollution to scatter off. Even those dark sky sites that we go to star aprties at the skies are now poor at best.
I too suspect things are worse than they were, though I also try to bear in mind that my eyes are older too. My corneas will be yellower and the first hints of cataracts are probably appearing.
I certainly notice it takes me longer to light adapt. There are times when the drops used by opticians to dilate the pupils look very attractive.
But I must admit we did have a stonking night here last month when the stars were crystalline jewels, despite the fact few places are more than 25 miles from a significant town.
La Palma remains my favourite place on the planet – I’ve never been to Chile. 🙂
My corneas will be yellower and the first hints of cataracts are probably appearing.
I hope you have consulted an optician Grant. Getting treatment early could save your sight.
Fear not. Had my checkup last week.
The corneas yellowing with age is a known thing. The cataracts are of no concern and it will be years before I need an op apparently. Happens to lots of people. Certainly among the oldies of my family. 🙂
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