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My Journey to the Dark Side

A word of warning: Beware of traveling with me in town at night. Maybe that isn’t the best way to introduce myself, but I felt the need to caution the reader. I have a nasty habit of pointing out bad lights. As we journey together on this blog we are likely to encounter examples of bad lighting and I hope that you will excuse me when I point them out. You already likely know what I am talking about—lights that shine right in your eyes producing glare, lights that are unnecessarily bright, lights that wastefully shine into the sky. Glare from bad lighting can make you uncomfortable and reduce visibility. Lights such as these, and the fact that far too many people do not take or do not know the simple steps to correct them, are what keep most of us from seeing and enjoying a night sky full of stars. These lights also keep me up at night. It is not that they light up my bedroom (although that can lead to insomnia). Instead, I am sleepless because the lights make me worry that the next generation will not be able to see star-filled night skies. For all of human history the night sky has been a source of inspiration and wonder. The stars are fading behind the urban glow and I am worried that we will not be able to stop it. The need to spread awareness of light pollution and how to fix it is what brought me to the dark side.... Read More..