Submitted by Mike Warkentin, Biosphere Association Volunteer
aka “The Dark Sky Guy”
American Poet Wendell Berry wrote:
To go in the dark with a light
is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark.
Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too,
blooms and sings,
and is traveled by
dark feet and dark wings.
One of the reasons my wife and I purchased a cottage on the Northern Bruce (Saugeen) Peninsula is because of my love of dark skies. On some nights with no moon, you can almost not see the hand in front of your face, it is that dark. When the Milky Way rises, it is almost bright enough to light your way.
Sadly, the dark skies are disappearing. It’s estimated that over 80% of North Americans can no longer see the Milky Way. We are going into the dark with light, and thus knowing the light, not the dark!
We are blessed here with some of the darkest skies in North America, due to the peninsula being surrounded on three sides by water, and the nearest light pollution coming from Owen Sound. Where I live in Mississauga, you have skies that are so bright, you are lucky to see some of the brightest stars.
But we are losing our dark skies up here, slowly but inevitably. Neon advertising signs, a new lighthouse with lights that are on all night, and homeowners lighting up their decks or properties with non dark sky friendly lights are just some examples of why dark skies are disappearing.
I was recently contacted by someone whose neighbour just strung up raw light bulbs to illuminate their path to their hot tub, not realizing their neighbours can now watch them crawl into and out of the tub. To help, I hand delivered some friendly “Are You A Good Light Neighbour” pamphlets that they can discretely drop off at their neighbours place.
So how can we learn to know the dark again?
Follow the 5 principles set out by the International Dark Sky Association for reducing light pollution:
1) Useful: Install lighting only when and where it’s needed
2) Targeted: Shield your lights so they shine down on the ground, which reduces harmful glare and decreases sky glow
3) Low Light Levels: Light should be no brighter than necessary
4) Controlled: Use controls such as timers, dimmers and motion sensors on outdoor lights
5) The Appropriate Color: Use warm color lights where possible (yellow or 3000K CCT or less) and limit the use of harmful blue wavelength lighting.
If you have an issue with a neighbour’s light, reach out to the BPBA using the contact form at http://www.bpba.ca/contact and I would be happy to drop off some pamphlets that you can use. Also there are a lot of great “neighbour friendly facing” resources at https://www.darksky.org/our-work/grassroots-advocacy/resources/public-outreach-materials/ on the International Dark Sky Organization website.
Let’s all learn to know the dark again!
Carpe Noctem!
