Starless, starless night

TAKE ACTION AGAINST LIGHT POLLUTION THIS FEBRUARY 2023

Light pollution, emitted from our buildings and roads, not only obscures our own views of starry skies, but is having a negative impact upon our wildlife by disrupting their natural patterns and behaviours and it urgently needs addressing! By joining the Campaign to Protect Rural England's annual Star Count, this year taking place between 17th-24th February 2023, you can help.

By gazing up into the heavens, on a suitable cloudless night, seeing how many stars you can see within the Orion constellation and submitting your survey results, you can help the organisers map where light pollution is most serious so they can work with local organisations to advocate for alternative lighting solutions. This is important for all wildlife including mammals, birds and insects. For example, research has suggested that moths, which play an important role in pollinating flowers during their nocturnal activity, and have declined in abundance by 40%, may be disrupted by light pollution - but this can be alleviated by the use of lower energy lighting or part-time night lighting. Recent figures also suggest that artificial lighting, which bleeds out from built-up areas and into the skies over our countryside, could account for as much as 30% of some councils' carbon emissions.

The CPRE have been campaigning for policies to reduce light pollution since the 1990s and in 2012 a National Planning Policy to control lighting was introduced as a result. Currently the CPRE suspect that both working from home and current concerns over soaring energy bills are producing a 'lockdown legacy' - resulting in a clearer view of the stars, but we can all help to continue that legacy by turning off garden lights when not in use, and encouraging local councils and businesses to dim street lights and reduce office lighting left on overnight. Not only does that reduce carbon emissions and cut energy bills but it improves the natural environment for us all whilst restoring one of the most magical sights the countryside can offer.

Find out more and sign up to take part in this cosmic citizen science project HERE.