Starry, starry, night

NEW SURVEY RESULTS SUGGEST OUR OUTLOOK IS BRIGHT

The countryside charity CPRE's 2022 Star Count has found that star gazers are enjoying their best views of the night sky since their annual count began, back in 2011, as light pollution has begun to decrease - which is a win-win for all inhabitants of our planet.

The survey, which took place in February and March 2022, asked participants to report the number of stars they could see in the Orion constellation. It showed that light pollution, has continued to fall. After peaking in 2020, when 61% of participants reported seeing 10 stars or fewer with the naked eye, severe light pollution fell to 51% in 2021 and continued its slide this year, to 49%. This is thought to be down to the legacy of lockdown, office-based organisations switching to permanent home working and our current fears over soaring energy prices resulting in fewer lights being left on overnight.

Severe light pollution, not only means that we can't enjoy our night skies but more seriously it has an overall negative impact on wildlife because it disturbs the way animals and plants perceive daytime and night-time and thus upsets their natural behaviours and rhythms such as rest, sleep, hunting and mating. Research has also shown that light pollution is also causing fatal crashes for migratory birds.

Emma Marrington, CPRE's dark skies campaigner, commented: "Half of the people who took part in the Star Count experienced severe light pollution that obscures their view of the night sky. This is bad for wildlife and human health - and the energy being needlessly wasted is bad financially and bad for our planet. But the good news is that these results show small adaptations can make a big difference. If there is a silver lining from the legacy of lockdown and now, the soaring cost of energy, it is that it has never been clearer how simple it is to cut carbon emissions and energy bills while improving our natural environment."

We can all continue to help by being more aware of the wildlife around us with which we share our homes and saving energy i.e. turning off any garden lights when not in use and encouraging our local councils and businesses to dim street lights and reduce office lighting if they have to be left on overnight. You can find out more about CPRE's Reclaiming our Dark Skies 'Night Blight' campaign and use their interactive maps by clicking HERE.