On June 27, the State of Connecticut passed a law implementing year-round lighting curfews for all state-owned buildings. It is the fourth state after New York, Illinois, and Minnesota to implement nighttime lighting laws to protect birds and reduce light pollution.
Light pollution is increasing globally at a staggering rate of 10% per year, especially in North America, according to a new study in Science (Kyba et al. 2023) that is widely reported in the media.
Oct 21, 7:30 – 9:30 pm Belle Isle Nature Center in Detroit will host another nighttime event for families to see Jupiter and Saturn through telescopes, see bats and other wildlife (Bat Week is Oct 24 – 31) and learn about science from the James Webb Space Telescope. Register here for tickets to this free
A single satellite launched on Sept 9, 2022, could at times outshine all the stars and planets in the night sky, according to New Scientist and other sources.
The International Dark-Sky Association has named Keweenaw International Dark Sky Park based at Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Copper Harbor, MI in the U.P. as the newest dark-sky park in Michigan!
Wed, May 18 at 7 pm: Gillen Brown will present on Light Pollution and Michigan’s Dark Skies at Brighton District Library, 100 Library Dr, Brighton. This event is in person.
Pittsburgh passed a comprehensive lighting ordinance, as reported by NPR.
The Ann Arbor City Council unanimously adopted our group’s lighting ordinance on Sept 7, 2021! It will apply to all new construction and major renovations on private property. It specifies requirements for shielding, light trespass limits, brightness limits for certain applications, curfews for businesses, and limits on blue spectrum lighting, among other things. Many thanks
The Ann Arbor Lighting Ordinance will be presented to the City Council on August 2, 2021. There will be a public hearing on August 16. Public comment is welcome. The Council is expected to vote on whether to approve at the August 16 meeting.
CNN reports that nearly twenty buildings in Philadelphia are dimming their lights this spring after thousands of birds perished in the city’s largest mass collision in recent history. Michigan Audubon has a similar Safe Passage Great Lakes program.
