Steve Tonkin

Friday 8th September 2023 7.30 pm – in the BRLSI, can be attended either in the BRLSI or remotely on Zoom.

Lecture 1 of 4 on the theme ‘Conserving the Planet’ in association with the Herschel Museum of Astronomy

Image is of light polluted and pristine skies in Dorset © Bob Mizon

Light Pollution was first identified as a problem by astronomers, but its consequences reach far wider. It is now widely recognised that artificial light at night, especially bright white light, can have profoundly negative effects on human health, and this is just the tip of an iceberg of harm. The effects on wildlife have been devastating, leading directly to the death of billions of birds each year and being a major driver of the “insect apocalypse” (studies suggest that 40% of insects will be extinct within the next few decades).

The solutions are at hand, are simple to implement, will have a net saving (of money, energy use and carbon emissions) and need not compromise security or our ability to safely work, travel and associate at night. We need to act now before it is too late.

A video recording of this lecture is freely available here.