Light pollution soundbites

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Apr 30

2012

by David Fuller

18 months ago, I started making my "Eyes on the Sky" night sky videos for beginning / intermediate amateur astronomers to help them find things in the night sky under light polluted conditions.  I always try to include naked eye, binocular and telescopic objects in every video.  My goal has always been to highlight the problem of light pollution in some way in every video, and by expanding the audience of those who can see things in the sky - even from cities - I hope to have an impact on reducing light pollution.  The problem has always been, "How much educating about night sky" vs. "How much to talk about light pollution?"

YouTube statistics give a vivid example of how little even amateur astronomers care about this, or watch.  My early, monthly videos included longer sections about this; 30 to 45 seconds.  The viewing dropped off DRASTICALLY in these sections.  In some ways, that's depressing!  In other ways, it was an opportunity - so that's how I've viewed it.  Except... I didn't know exactly what to do about it - until a few weeks ago.

It dawned on me that what I can do is provide "soundbite length" info - specifically, facts that people can easily grab onto and be able to cite back to others.  I even provide the link to where the facts came from (often very long and odd-looking URL's, but they are there when needed), so if someone really wants to be able to check on something, they can.  But the key is to help people be able to combat the 'fear-based' notions that our modern society has come to accept as fact, such as "More light is better!" (which, of course, it's not).  Viewers who watch consistently will get an arsenal's worth of "dark sky facts" soundbites they can use to combat those who try to say "More light is better" or "More light makes us safer."

With an approximately 10% increase in YouTube subscribers every 30 days (a remarkably consistent stat since I started!), I hope I can continue to have a significant impact on this problem.  Light pollution isn't going away anytime soon - but then again, neither am I.  I plan to offer these for a long time.  If I can do a little bit to change the dynamic of this issue, I will feel I have wildly succeeded.  

Wishing you clear - and dark! - skies.