Category: Darkness News Update

Highlights from the darkness news are:

• Scientific Consensus
• 1000 Bird Strikes in One Night
• Chile Restores Darkness
• Light Pollution is Brain Pollution

 

Day and Night Light Exposure are Associated with Psychiatric Disorders

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-023-00135-8

 

Circadian Disruption Causes Neuroinflammation

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159123002593

 

Circadian Disruption Linked with Weight Gain

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-05347-3#Sec8

 

Light Pollution is Shrinking American Bat Habitats

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.11.561893v1

 

248 Scientists Form Consensus on Need for Human-Centric Light

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphot.2023.1272934/full

 

Salvidor Bará: Wind Farms Are Too Bright

https://zenodo.org/records/8415031

 

New Device Helps Astrophotographers

https://www.space.com/astronomy-light-pollution-streetlight-hack

 

Chicago Had 1000 Fatal Bird Strikes in One Night

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/nation/2023/10/06/record-bird-deaths-chicago-window-collisions-prevention/71088350007/

 

France to Begin Fining Stores for Leaving their Lights on After Hours

https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/france-to-fine-stores-for-leaving-their-lights-on-too-long

 

Chile Has a New National Lighting Standard

https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/annlang23002-es-cl/?lang=

 

UK Parliament Discusses Light Pollution, Pushes Topic to Regional Governments

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-10-16/debates/D134372D-13EF-4F37-913E-887A6FA60269/ProtectionOfDarkSkies

 

Nottinghamshire County, UK Cuts Lighting; Sees No Downsides

https://headtopics.com/uk/residents-use-torches-as-led-lights-leave-big-pockets-of-darkness-46136125

 

Sea Turtle Conservancy’s Sea Turtle Grants Program Partners with FL State Parks

https://www.wwlp.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/661196839/florida-state-parks-foundation-partners-with-sea-turtle-grants-program-for-utvs-educational-kits-in-state-parks/

 

Sanibel, FL has Record Year for Turtles

https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/lee-county/sanibel-record-high-number-of-loggerhead-turtles-recorded-on-island

 

Savannah State University Starts Charting Beach Lighting from the Turtle’s Perspective

https://www.gpb.org/news/2023/10/11/researchers-are-generating-turtles-eye-view-of-the-beach-save-georgias-baby-sea

 

Cave Creek, AZ Works on Dark Sky Status

https://sonorannews.com/2023/10/17/cc-dark-sky-working-towards-dark-sky-certification-status-with-dark-sky-international/

 

Suffolk Villages Begins Work on Dark Sky Status

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23858711.suffolk-parish-council-bidding-dark-skies-status/?ref=rss

 

Orem, Utah Citizens Petition for Light Pollution Ordinance

https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/2023/oct/17/orem-citizen-petitions-for-ordinance-change-to-reduce-nighttime-light-pollution/

 

East Yorkshire Farm is Blasting Pink Light After Dark

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/cause-stranger-things-pink-lights-125247359.html

 

Lyon, France Will Cut the Lights Between 2 and 4:30 AM

https://newsrnd.com/news/2023-10-14-why-will-lyon-be-plunged-into-darkness-on-saturday-night-.ryeJl20PbT.html

 

Qualicum Beach Gets Dimmer, Warmer LEDs after Citizen Complaints

https://www.nanaimobulletin.com/local-news/qualicum-beach-installs-new-led-lights-to-address-resident-complaints-5888618

 

High Desert Museum in Oregon Starts Darkness Push

https://www.darkskyoregon.org/gotstars

Highlights from the darkness news are:

• ALAN Linked with Breast Cancer
• France Powers Ahead on Night Conservation
• Border Protection Suspend Nature Protections
• Blue-Filtering Lenses Not Recommended

 

The Regional Natural Park of Vercors has been Designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve

https://lightedmag.com/vercors-named-fifth-international-dark-sky-reserve-in-france/

 

Morvan Regional Park Might Be the Next

https://time.news/morvan-in-the-race-to-become-an-international-dark-sky-reserve/

 

France’s Dark Sky Parks Form Strategic Policy Alliance

https://www.archyde.com/pyrenees-this-congress-at-the-summit-of-the-pic-du-midi-addresses-a-problem-that-is-still-too-little-known/

 

ANPCEN Survey show 94% french people want less private light at night
https://www.lemonde.fr/m-perso/article/2023/09/30/contre-la-pollution-de-la-lumiere-artificielle-les-defenseurs-de-la-nuit-se-mobilisent_6191738_4497916.html

 

DarkSky Recognizes Mexico’s First Urban Night Sky Place

https://lightedmag.com/darksky-recognizes-mexicos-first-urban-night-sky-place/

 

West Marin County, CA Begins work on DarkSky Designation

https://dnyuz.com/2023/09/25/a-bay-area-community-wants-to-protect-its-dark-skies/

 

Beckinridge, CO is Applying for DarkSky Recognition

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/breckenridge-officials-aim-to-get-back-on-track-to-become-a-dark-sky-community/

 

DarkSky Recognizes Sport Fields in Ackerman IL

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adam-kreuzer-bab084239_activity-7110966108345552896-iDr1/

 

Lights at Crystal Lake’s Lippold Park Adds Shields

https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/2023/09/24/lights-at-crystal-lakes-lippold-park-will-have-shields-installed-after-residents-complaints/

 

Historic Bisbee High School Will Not Get Facade Uplights

https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/proposed-lighting-for-new-housing-project-at-historic-bisbee-high-school-site-nixed-by-council/article_f2f1a6b8-5be3-11ee-9391-b3b3290fb0c3.html

 

Londoners Push Back on a Local Version of the Vegas Sphere

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/10/02/las-vegas-sphere-concert-venue-james-dolan-stratford/

 

Mā‘alaea Installs Bird and Turtle Safe Lighting

https://krdo.com/news/2023/09/25/seabird-friendly-lighting-installed-at-parking-lot/

 

Oahu Begins Awareness Campaign for Turtle Season

https://news.yahoo.com/reduced-light-caution-urged-during-160200977.html

 

Ottawa Takes Complaints Over Turtle Safety

https://educationnewscanada.com/article/education/level/university/1/1041419/wildlife-mitigating-measures-no-help-for-ottawa-s-freshwater-turtles.html

 

Palm Beach Sued Over Sea Turtle Safety

https://www.wptv.com/news/protecting-paradise/animal-rights-group-prepared-to-sue-town-of-palm-beach-over-sea-turtle-safety

 

US DHS Waives 26 federal protections to expand 10 sections of border security infrastructure

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/10/05/ajpu-o05.html

 

Blue Light Exposure in Male Rats Leads to Early Puberty

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1002359

 

Unhealthy Noise and Light Levels for Hospitalized Pediatric Patients

https://shmpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jhm.13218?af=R

 

German Study Confirms Link Between ALAN and Breast Cancer

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10654-023-01048-7

 

AAO Does Not Recommend Blue Filter Lenses

https://kslnewsradio.com/2043517/blue-light-blocking-glasses-not-reccomended-by-aao/

 

Blue Walker 3 Satellites are the 4th Brightest Thing in the Sky

https://www.space.com/bluewalker-3-prototype-satellite-brightest-objects-sky

 

Don’t Flash Lights into Housing at Night

https://twitter.com/ChudsOfTikTok/status/1705786177394008182

Highlights from the darkness news are:

 – Charting New Harms of ALAN

 – Speakers from Under One Sky

 – Bird’s Eye Views Are Shrinking

 – Pandas Get Jet-Lag

 

 

Light at Night Will Kill You

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.08.23295231v1

 

Dim Light at Night Makes Alzheimer’s Worse

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-023-00932-0#Sec13

 

Reducing Light at Night Reduces Stress During Pregnancy

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-16655-y

 

IES Offers Nighttime Lighting Program

https://lightedmag.com/ies-offers-nighttime-lighting-program/

 

DSI’s Under One Sky Names Keynote Speakers

https://darksky.org/news/under-one-sky-2023-conference-keynotes-announced/

 

High temperatures are moving agricultural work in the NE to nighttime

https://www.pressherald.com/2023/09/11/extreme-heat-is-forcing-americas-farmers-to-go-nocturnal/

 

Light Pollution is Harming Marine Life

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.4011

 

Urban, Non-migratory Songbirds Eyes Are Getting Smaller

https://phys.org/news/2023-09-urban-pollution-linked-smaller-eyes.html

 

Mouse Metabolism linked with seasonal lighting changes

https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(23)00300-5#secsectitle0075

 

Circadian Misalignment Leads to Changes in Panda Activity

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1188566/full

 

Fort Myers, Fl Has Worst Year for Turtles

https://www.fortmyersbeachtalk.com/2023/09/10/fort-myers-beach-faces-one-of-its-worst-years-for-sea-turtle-disorientations/

 

Ft Worth TX Tracks Bird Strikes

https://fortworthreport.org/2023/09/17/downtown-fort-worth-buildings-are-deadly-for-migrating-birds-researchers-are-keeping-track/

 

Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky park in Taiwan Might Lose Status after illuminated signs pump out too much light

https://twitter.com/taiwanplusnews/status/1704140789151080803

 

Man Seeks to Add Lighting Bylaws to Clayton, NC After Neighbor Adds 20+ Flood Lamps to Back Yard

https://restorationnewsmedia.com/articles/local-news-johnstonian/homeowner-says-he-lives-next-door-to-sports-complex/#google_vignette

 

Coconino County to Modernize Lighting Bylaws

https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1857662/coconino-county-seeks-public-input-modernize-dark-sky-ordinance

 

Boulder City, NV Council had a hands on with new lighting

https://bouldercityreview.com/news/council-meeting-has-show-and-tell-for-street-lighting-77549/

 

SpaceX Plans New Non-reflective Coating

https://driveteslacanada.ca/spacex/spacex-to-reduce-light-pollution-from-starlink-satellites-via-in-house-tech/

 

Highlights from the darkness news world are:

 – Night Shift Work is Bad for Your Memory

 – Giving Insomnia to Molluscs and Rodents

 – Circadian Lamps Go to Space

 – Progress on a Petition to Change LED Headlights

 

 

Night Shift Work Associated with Memory Issues in Middle Age

https://www.news9live.com/health/health-conditions/study-reveals-night-shift-workers-more-prone-to-memory-related-problems-in-middle-age-2267457

 

Poor Sleep Cancels Cognitive Benefits of Exercise

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/lack-of-sleep-reduces-cognitive-benefits-of-exercise

 

Health Tracker Band Mis-measure Sleep

https://www.futurity.org/fitbits-sleep-wearable-devices-2964042/

 

 

ESA Test New Circadian-Friendly Lighting on ISS

https://www.transcontinentaltimes.com/esa-astronaut-impact-on-body-space/

 

 

Softlights’ Petition to the FDA to End use of LED Headlights on Cars is Open for Comments

https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2023-P-3828-0001

 

US Gov Accountability Office Reports On Border Infrastructure Harms

https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2023/sep/08/report-outlines-harm-from-border-wall/?news-national

 

 

Conservationists Seeks Protections for Fireflies in Mexico

https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1856607/conservationists-ask-mexico-protect-threatened-synchronous-firefly

 

 

Canadian Border Services Bolster Infrastructure at 11 Crossings

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/new-fences-gate-controls-among-international-border-upgrades-since-freedom-convoy-1.6544915

 

 

 

Circadian Disruption Leads to Inflamation in Rats

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-41266-3

 

 

Circadian disruption is causing activity changes in mice

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-41029-0#Sec9

 

 

Nocturnal pollinators prefer dim or no light at night

https://earthsky.org/human-world/dim-the-lights-for-pollinators-and-plants-at-night/

 

Lighting from the Shore is Leading Oyster Activity at Night
https://trendeepro.com/light-pollution-causes-oyster-insomnia/

 

 

British scientists want to add more light to the bottom of the ocean

https://www.lightnowblog.com/2023/09/british-scientists-discover-bright-lights-enable-low-impact-scallop-fishing/

 

 

Mont Tremblant – Named Dark Sky Park by DSI

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/dark-sky-designation-quebec-s-mont-tremblant-park-is-officially-star-gazers-paradise-1.6541540#:~:text=Newly%20designated%20as%20an%20International,to%20protect%20its%20nocturnal%20environment.

 

 

Dark Skies Cumbria Publishes Technical Advice Note

https://www.recolight.co.uk/experts-publish-guide-on-light-pollution/

 

 

 

Wilkesboro, NC Will Do an Impact Assessment Before Adding Lighting to Riverside Development

https://www.journalpatriot.com/news/study-on-proposed-river-district-funded/article_43103a00-179d-56d9-ac43-ca07f869815c.html

 

 

Andover Mass, Votes against sports field lighting

https://www.eagletribune.com/news/merrimack_valley/new-high-school-panel-votes-down-sports-lighting/article_c739066a-4356-11ee-9fae-270ac6efa810.html

 

Dripping Springs, TX Launches Lights out Program

https://communityimpact.com/austin/southwest-austin-dripping-springs/government/2023/09/06/lights-out-dripping-springs-community-encouraged-to-dim-lights-for-bird-migration-months/

 

Alpine, TX Has Cut Light Pollution by 20% over 3 years
https://inside.lighting/news/23-09/texas-town-has-reduced-light-pollution-20

 

 

Greenwich, CT May Ban Landscape Lighting, Alter Signage Bylaws

https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/greenwich-sign-landscape-lighting-ban-18342657.php

 

 

Heber UT Temple gets Pushback

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESyWsL2usKs

 

 

Winston-Salem, NC Opts for 3,000K street lighting

https://journalnow.com/news/local/winston-salem-duke-energy-to-replace-25-000-streetlights-with-leds/article_408356de-48f6-11ee-899b-e75bef0f4595.html

 

 

Manningtree, Essex Train Station Parking Lot is Brighter Than the Whole Town

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-66644730

 

Connect with Restoring Darkness:

Instagram: @restoringdarkness

Twitter: restoringdrknss

Facebook: restoringdarkness

Linkedin: restoring-darkness

www.restoringdarkness.com

 

Highlights from the darkness news world:

– Blue blocking lenses don’t work

– Municipal governments leading on bird safety

– DarkSky’s photo contest winners

– Holidays are visible from space

 

Full links:

Blue-Light Glasses Are Unlikely to Help Eye Strain – https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013244.pub2/full

 

Holidays Are Visible from Space –

https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013244.pub2/full

 

The impact of cyanopic illuminance on evening light induced circadian effects –

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132323005863

 

 

Circadian modulation by time-restricted feeding rescues brain pathology and improves memory in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease –

https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdfExtended/S1550-4131(23)00273-5#:~:text=Whittaker%20et%20al.%20report%20circadian,memory%20deficits%20in%20AD%20mice.

 

 

Gray Catbird and House Wrens AHrmed by Light Pollution –

https://news.ncsu.edu/2023/08/for-two-backyard-bird-species-more-light-pollution-is-linked-to-lower-survival/#:~:text=The%20study%2C%20which%20drew%20on,more%20light%20pollution%20at%20night

 

 

Cities Leading the Way on Bird-friendly Building Policies –

https://informedinfrastructure.com/89322/cities-leading-the-way-on-bird-friendly-building-policies

 

Regional awareness campaigns –

Lousiana Wildlife Federation

https://www.katc.com/news/covering-louisiana/lights-out-louisiana-to-help-protect-billions-of-migratory-birds-flying-over-state

Baltimore

https://www.wbaltv.com/article/group-working-make-baltimore-bird-safe-ahead-migration-months/44830796#

College Station, TX

https://wtaw.com/college-station-proclamation-for-the-birds/

Dowylestown, PA

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/lights-out-doylestown-to-darken-the-skies-for-migratory-birds/ar-AA1fBgQj

Belfast, Ireland is changing lighting policy to benefit starlings –

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-66520263

 

Minami-Rokuroshi in Ono City, Fukui certified as Japan’s first Urban Night Sky Place

https://darksky.org/news/minami-rokuroshi-in-ono-city-certified-as-japans-first-urban-night-sky-place/

 

 

Utah Inland Port Authority Plans New Port Site Near Bird Snactuary Over Protests

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/environmentalists-say-inland-port-site-threatens-great-salt-lake

 

US CBP Resume Work on Border Structures in Starr County, TX –

https://myrgv.com/local-news/2023/08/18/feds-propose-20-miles-of-new-border-wall-in-starr-county-again/

 

 

Proposed Natural Gas Generating Plant Will in Billings, MT Will Have Night Friendly Lighting –

https://www.kulr8.com/news/hearings-regarding-yellowstone-county-generating-station/article_4af412d2-3d2c-11ee-a3db-fbb04ba6e452.html

 

HK Fishing Boats Are Using Too much undirected light to the detriment of everyone

https://hongkongfp.com/2023/08/20/how-nightly-marine-light-pollution-harms-sea-life-the-environment-and-hongkongers/

 

Kingsville, ON makes it an “offence to position any exterior lighting in a manner that causes impairment to the use or enjoyment of neighbouring properties” –

https://www.iheartradio.ca/am800/news/residential-outdoor-lighting-changes-approved-in-kingsville-1.20135576

 

 

Boulder CO’s Switch LED on Streets Includes BUG Mitigation Plan

https://boulderreportinglab.org/2023/08/23/boulder-to-switch-all-streetlights-to-leds-aiming-for-energy-savings-and-starry-night-skies/

 

 

Navajo County, AZ Ban Light Trespass –

https://www.wmicentral.com/news/navajo-county-bans-light-trespassing/article_511929dc-8f15-52e2-ac60-88e7e75ac21b.html

 

 

Updates from Cody, WY –

Mayor Pulls building permit at the last minute

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/08/17/wyoming-mayor-orders-his-city-not/

And a Citizens Group has Sued the City to Keep it that Way –

https://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/news/wyoming/article_7a34bb69-9fe1-5516-9b9f-17f6949c459b.html

 

DarkSky Names Photo Contest Winners –

https://darksky.org/news/2023-capture-the-dark-winners-2/

Find the latest news on the Restoring Darkness front. Highlights of this episode: – University of Pennsylvania Study Shows Staying Up All Night Might Help with Depression – Mice with High Blood Pressure Die Faster Under Circadian Disruptions – Melatonin-rich diet improves sleep Presented by The Lighting And Darkness Research Foundation.

Scott Wachter, from the Lighting Industry News Brief (https://naild.org/lighting-industry-news-brief) joins Michael Colligan to bring you the latest news around darkness restoration. Watch for Restoring Darkness Episode 75, out soon. And don’t forget to give to The Lighting And Darkness Foundation to fight light pollution. https://restoringdarkness.com/donate

Scott Wachter, from the Lighting Industry News Brief (https://naild.org/lighting-industry-news-brief) joins Michael Colligan to bring you the latest news around darkness restoration. Watch for Restoring Darkness Episode 75, out soon. And don’t forget to give to The Lighting And Darkness Foundation to fight light pollution.

Join us for our inaugural episode of The Darkness News Update. Scott Wachter, from the Lighting Industry News Brief (https://naild.org/lighting-industry-news-brief) joins Michael Colligan to bring you the latest news around darkness restoration. Watch for future episodes to coincide with Restoring Darkness podcast episodes.