Environmental Health Trust and Wyoming Stargazing invite you to join us for an early evening discussion on light pollution, the environment and human health.
Why Dark Skies at Night Are Good For You and the Planet
Monday March 6, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Hansen Hall St. John’s Episcopal Church
Light Refreshments served
Samuel Singer, PhD, Founder and Executive Director Wyoming Stargazing
He began his love of the universe at Hampshire College where he got a B.A. in Physics and Astronomy and built Dobsonian telescopes. He earned his Masters in Natural Science–Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming during which he built a small observatory for the Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole. He completed his PhD in Science Education from the University of Wyoming focused on spirituality in outdoor environmental education. Wyomingstargazing.org
Devra L. Davis, PhD, MPH, President, Environmental Health Trust
Dr. Devra Davis is an award-winning scientist and writer. Davis was a founding director of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the U.S. National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences, and has worked on numerous environmental exposures, from chemicals to lead to air pollution. She was a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and part of the team of scientists awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Al Gore. ehtrust.org and heathytechhome.org
TETON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Luther Propst, Chair and Natalia D. Macker, Vice Chair will be discussing their approach to addressing light pollution in Teton County.
Dark Night Skies are the National Parks Above Our Heads
To protect our dark sky please consider the following:
- Artificial light at night pollutes our skies with negative consequences for astronomers, wildlife, and all who try to enjoy a dark night sky.
- An increasingly smaller fraction of the world’s population has the opportunity to enjoy naturally dark night skies.
- Jackson’s lights are much brighter than they need to be and can be reduced by following some simple cost-effective steps.
The American Medical Association’s 2016 Guidance to Reduce Harm from High-Intensity Street Lights
- The American Medical Association (AMA) encourages communities to minimize and control blue-rich environmental lighting by using the lowest emission of blue light possible to reduce glare.
- The AMA recommends an intensity threshold for optimal LED lighting that minimizes blue-rich light that suppresses melatonin production during the night.
- The AMA recommends that all LED lighting be properly shielded to minimize glare and detrimental human health and environmental effects, and urges users to dim LED lighting during off-peak time periods.
Protecting Nature
Excessive outdoor lighting disrupts many wildlife species that need a dark environment. For instance, poorly designed LED lighting disorients some bird, insect, turtle, and fish species, and U.S. National Parks have adopted optimal lighting designs and practices that minimize the effects of light pollution on the environment.
Simple and inexpensive ways to reduce light pollution to keep us all healthier and safer:
- Turn off lights at night when not in use
- Shield lights that must remain on
- Use warm white bulbs, motion sensors, or timers.
- Avoid screens before bedtime
- Sleep in darkness