Cornish Guardian, May 16 2003

Fading Sky at Night In Cornwall by Ian Shepherd

The Milky Way can now be seen from only 18 per cent of Cornwall as a result of modern street lighting.

Countryside campaigners put “light pollution” on the county’s political agenda last week by revealing data showing how the starry night sky has fast disappeared.

To launch its Night Blight! campaign, pressure-group The Council For the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) published information from US Air Force weather satellites.

The CPRE used the information to produce striking national and regional colour maps (above right) showing the rapid growth of light pollution in some areas over the past 10 years,

Roger Martin, chairman of CPRE’s South West Regional Group, said: “Star-filled night skies are one of the things that make our countryside so special.

“We’ve found they are disappearing fast because of careless, wasteful use of outdoor light”

The organisation has joined the British Astronomical Association (BAA) to launch a new national campaign against light pollution. It includes detailed proposals for action by all those involved in outdoor lighting — central and local government, business and commerce and householders.

Scientists have estimated that more than half the UK population will never see the Milky Way because electric light is blotting it out,

The land area in Cornwall has experienced severe light pollution since 1993. Between that year and 2000, the Duchy skies became 12 per cent brighter — but light pollution throughout the entire South West grew by 25 per cent over the same period.

Precious

The light shining upwards at night from each square kilometre in the South West region increased by 17 per cent over those seven years,

However, Cornwall still retains a few areas with really dark skies whore people can enjoy an un- impeded view of the stars and planets — again, those are shown in the map.

CPRE and the BAA say businesses and individuals can play an important role in tackling the issue by taking steps to stop outdoor light spilling upwards into the night sky. “But the time has come for Government to take a lead,” said Mr Martin.

Campaigners say the Government must measure the extent of light pollution — just as the new maps do — and develop policies to prevent it getting worse,

“We are not for lights to be switched off, merely for them to be better directed so they don’t waste electricity lighting up the night sky,” said Mr Martin. And if less electricity is wasted, then air pollution and emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases are reduced.

“Light pollution has been talked about for more than a decade, but there’s still nowhere near enough awareness-Nor are there enough policies to prevent its rapid growth from continuing.

“That has got to change, before we close our window on the universe and lose one of the most precious views there is.

CPRE spokeswoman in Cornwall, Emma Mustill, said people in the county should urge the highways department and local authorities to replace Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) street lamps with Full Cut Off (FCO) luroinaires which direct light below horizontal level.

“They should also ask if they comply with the British Standards Institute Code of Practice for Road and Street Lighting,” she said. “If the answer is no, then an explanation should be requested.

“Individual householders can help cut down on light pollution. It is easy to buy 500 watt bulbs, for example, but 150 watt ones are as powerful as most people will need for external lighting.”