Pittsburgh passed a comprehensive lighting ordinance, as reported by NPR.
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Ann Arbor Lighting Ordinance Adopted!
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 to all who helped make this possible. MLive article.
Ann Arbor Lighting Ordinance at City Council
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.
July is Dark Sky Awareness Month in Michigan!
The Michigan State Senate passed SR-69 declaring July 2021 Dark Sky Awareness Month! Kudos to Senators Kim LaSata (R-Cass County) and Rosemary Bayer (D – Oakland County). Please let them know you approve 🙂
Philly dims skyline to save birds
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.
SpaceX constellations to orbit at lower altitude
In response to concerns from astronomers, the FCC has approved a request from SpaceX to lower the altitude of its planned satellite constellations, despite vigorous opposition from competitors. This will reduce the brightness and visibility of the satellites from ground-based observatories. (See Sec III.E.4, p. 47)
Keweenaw Mountain Lodge to apply for Dark Sky Park status
MLive reports that Keweenaw Mountain Lodge on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is working toward approval for Dark Sky Park status from the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). They would be the third IDA Dark Sky Park after Headlands and T. K. Lawless.
Dark Sky Places program
Popular Science provides an overview of the International Dark-Sky Association’s Dark Sky Places program. The IDA Dark Sky Parks in Michigan are Headlands in Emmet County and Dr. T. K. Lawless in Cass County.
Chelsea Dark Skies launches
A new dark-sky group in Chelsea has organized and has recommended a few revisions to the Chelsea Zoning Ordinance to improve and update the lighting ordinance. They described their efforts at the March 13 Chelsea Community Forum. Contact ChelseaDarkSkies@gmail.com for more info, or to join.
Grasshopper swarm responds to Las Vegas lights
A swarm of 46 million grasshoppers was lured by the lights of Las Vegas and died there. More evidence that light pollution is a major cause of the insect apocalypse, as reported by the New York Times.