August 2026: Fundamental Rhythms!, Light Pollution News

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This Episode:

Howdy friends, it’s a new Light Pollution News! I am very lucky to be joined by an excellent slate of guests! With me today are Shane Ludtke of the Actual Astronomy Podcast, wildlife ecologist Dr. Kaori Yokochi, and CEO of Dark Sky International, Ruskin Hartley.

This episode, what happened when voters of Los Angeles were asked to fork a streetlight improvement program? How does one dark sky reserve protect its dark skies? And…there is a contest to be a Chief Star Counter! Do you have what it takes?

All this coming up next – and stay with us after the close out of today’s show for some health and news related items that I wasn’t able to cover during the course of the main recording.

Host:

Guests:

Ruskin Hartley

Ruskin Hartley, CEO of DarkSky International, champions a global movement to protect natural night skies by advocating for responsible outdoor lighting. With over 20 years in environmental conservation, he has engaged with leaders and communities worldwide to promote sustainable lighting practices that mitigate light pollution’s adverse effects on health, wildlife, and climate. Previously, he held leadership roles at Fair Trade USA, Heal the Bay, and Save the Redwoods League. A graduate of the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia, Hartley’s commitment to conservation is deeply rooted in his childhood experiences with nature in the UK.

Kaori Yokochi

Dr Kaori Yokochi is a Wildlife Ecologist at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses on conservation of Australian mammals, with a particular interest in Urban Ecology and impacts of human infrastructure on wildlife, including artificial light at night. She aspires to find better ways for both humans and wildlife to thrive in our cities. Kaori joined NERAL (Network for Ecological Research on Artificial Light) in 2020 when she started research on the impacts of temporary lighting on microbat communities. She is also a member of ADSA (Australasian Dark Sky Alliance) and passionate about raising awareness of the impacts of light pollution on wildlife, especially on microbats.

Shane Ludtke

Shane Ludtke has had a lifelong interest in astronomy. His first view of Saturn through a telescope at age 9 established his love of the night sky. Shane became an active astronomer in 2003 after purchasing an 8” Dobsonian telescope. Shane loves to observe all objects in the sky and uses telescopes ranging from 25mm to 300mm aperture. Shane is an active member of the local astronomy club and has held numerous positions, including President. Shane and his long-time observing friend, Chris Beckett, began the Actual Astronomy podcast in 2020 and continue to release 2 episodes weekly that focus on visual observing.

Full Article List:

1. Chief Star Counter, VisitSunshineCoast.
2. Sustainable community development in mountain regions: the case study of Hanle Dark Sky Reserve, Ladakh, India, Sustainable Earth.
3. Fading cosmos: Light pollution threatens Himalayan astronomy, The Times of India.
4. Alpes Azur Mercantour first to expand boundaries, Natasha Chortos, DarkSky International.
5. New dark sky reserve monitoring will not affect planning says councillor, Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman.
6. Blinded by the light? A city committee explores some bright ideas, Arthur White-Crummey, CBC News.
7. The Impact of Sunlight and Artificial Light at Night on Sleep Stages: Evidence From a 7-Day Sensor-Based Observational Study, JMIR mHealth and uHealth.
8. Short- and Long-Term Chrono-Immune Consequences of Dim Light at Night Exposure in Male Mice at Different Life Stages, Clocks & Sleep.
9. LA property owners vote down streetlight fee increase, Kavish Harjai, LAist.
10. Quantification of methane and carbon monoxide from natural gas streetlights in Boston: a ‘low-hanging fruit’ for emissions reduction, Environmental Research Communications.
11. Gas streetlights, methane emissions, and the cultural resistance to climate change mitigation, Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences.

Light Pollution News: August Highlights

Sunshine Coast Hinterland Dark Sky Reserve Names 9-Year-Old as Inaugural Chief Star Counter

Australia’s newly christened Sunshine Coast Hinterland Dark Sky Reserve launched a volunteer “Chief Star Counter” role aimed largely at children, offering round-trip flights, a two-night stay at Narrows Escape Luxury Rainforest Retreat, and guided stargazing. Nine-year-old Sarah Meldrum of Victoria won the position, counting stars from July 8th through 10th.

Ladakh’s High-Altitude Observatories Navigate Astrotourism Growth and Border Sensitivities

Home to the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope, and the seven-telescope High Altitude Gamma Ray array, India’s remote Ladakh valley earned a nonDarkSky International Designated Dark Sky Reserve status in 2022 despite sitting roughly 20 km from the disputed China-India border. A new study in Sustainable Earth Reviews examined whether the designation supports sustainable development, finding that while astrotourism has grown, debated Bortle-scale sky degradation, air and waste management stressors, and military-driven lighting needs continue to threaten the region’s dark skies.

Uttarakhand Observatory Battles Light Pollution Complicated by Leopard-Deterrent Lighting

Researchers near the 3.6-meter Devasthal Optical Telescope in Uttarakhand, India, are pushing for Dark Sky Reserve protections similar to Ladakh’s, but the Times of India reports that lighting needed to deter leopard attacks complicates mitigation efforts even as astrotourism rises.

France’s Mercantour Dark Sky Reserve Expands to Cover Entire National Park in World First

Officials expanded the Mercantour Dark Sky Reserve to fully envelope Mercantour National Park, increasing the reserve’s area by 1,400 square kilometers and its population by 15,000 residents, a designation described as a world first.

South Kerry Dark Sky Reserve Adds Monitoring Stations Amid Local Pushback

Ireland’s gold-tier South Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve is installing additional monitoring stations, though Councillor Johnny Healy-Rae voiced concern that such efforts could gradually restrict the community.

Ottawa Councillors Push for Light Pollution Bylaw as Suburbs Expand Into Farmland

As suburban Ottawa develops former farmland, Councillors David Hill and Theresa Kavanagh are calling for a lighting bylaw or educational campaign, though Councillor Riley Brockington noted residents are divided between wanting more and less lighting.

Study Links Daytime Sunlight Exposure to Longer Nightly Sleep Using EEG Headbands

A study published in JMIR found that each additional hour of daytime sunlight exposure was associated with about 11 more minutes of sleep that night, while evening artificial light showed no clear association with sleep outcomes. The small 21-participant study used EEG headbands to precisely measure sleep stages, an improvement over prior wristband-based methodologies.

Study Finds Dim Nighttime Light Disrupts Circadian and Immune Function in Mice

Research in Clocks & Sleep found that exposing mice to dim, 5-lux nighttime light during gestation or early postnatal development disrupted rest-activity rhythms, flattened spleen clock-gene oscillations, and heightened immune responses into adulthood, with gestational exposure alone sufficient to produce lasting effects.

Los Angeles Voters Reject $125 Million Streetlight Assessment Increase

Facing streetlight funding frozen since 1996 and over 200,000 lights damaged by copper theft, Los Angeles put a streetlight assessment increase to voters under State Proposition 218, seeking roughly $125 million annually for repairs and installation. Nearly 80% of voters rejected the proposal on June 26th.

Studies Find Gas Streetlights Leak Significant Methane and Cost More Than LEDs.

A Cincinnati study found gas streetlights leak roughly 4% of piped natural gas into the air, while a Boston study confirmed similar leakage and found the city spent an average of $261 per gas streetlight annually in 2024, compared to an estimated $30 per year for LED alternatives.

Light Pollution News: August Read Along

Did you guys hear about the nationwide search for a Chief Star Counter! This is down in the newly christened Sunshine Coast Hinterland Dark Sky Reserve?

What does it entail, you ask? Well, the volunteer role involves counting stars, kinda obvious, right? The catch is that you have to actually stay awake long enough to do so. Applications ran from June 17^th to June 30^th, with one lucky person receiving the phone call back on July 1^st. The winner counted stars from July 8^th through 10^th.

This position was largely targeted towards children, but it does include some pretty nice adult perks. Including round trip flights to the Sunshine Coast; a two-night stay at the Narrows Escape Luxury Rainforest Retreat; guided stargazing, and the bestowal of the coveted ‘Chief Star Counter’ designation for all your classmates to drool over. The winner was 9 year old, Sarah Meldrum from Victoria. Congratulations, Sarah! I’m sure it will be an unforgettable experience!

Up in the remote, high altitude valley of Ladakh, India sit a dense collection of astronomical observatories. Included in the area are the 2 meter infrared Himalayan Chandra Telescope, 21 meter gamma-ray Major Atmospheric Cherenkov telescope, the High Altitude Gamma Ray telescope array that consists of seven telescopes, and a series of smaller telescopes. The area itself has special astronomical significance, drawing comparisons to the Atacama Desert due to its dry climate and 270 clear nights a year.

The geography of this area also makes for interesting challenges, in that these telescopes are located around 20km (12 miles) from the disputed Chinese-Indian border. The area was off limits to tourism until the mid-90s, and even today, visitors may need a permit to view the stars. And it’s those very stars that we are talking about today, as in 2022 the area obtained a Dark Sky Reserve designation.

There was this interesting study out of Sustainable Earth Reviews that asked if protecting the night sky is a viable model for sustainable development. The team performed a number of assessments, including interviews with stakeholder groups, biodiversity surveys, and several additional qualitative tools, including accounts of negotiations between scientists and locals prior to becoming a Dark Sky Reserve.

Since the creation of the Dark Sky Reserve, tourism has increased, bringing with it development and increased light to the region. The study found that in 2024, of the 28,000 tourists who visited the area, over 1/3 took part in astrotourism. Development prior to the designation is thought to have degraded the once pristine night skies to a Bortle 2, though this is still being debated, as apparently the region has had inconsistent night sky readings. The Indian Institute of Astrophysics is still conducting measurements to confirm. Though it should be noted that despite working to promote responsible lighting practices, night sky erosion hasn’t decreased. Along with sky erosion, air quality from vehicle emissions and a lack of proper waste/sewage management present additional stressors on the region. With regards to the sky quality, one area that presents difficulty derives from military presence in the area, which lends itself to requiring more light.

I will note that a couple of the more interesting approaches in Ladakh involve training 24 kids to act as astronomy ambassadors to help guide visitors on their astro journey, and also the tactical use of mini-planetariums for off the beaten path villages that aren’t partaking in the regional benefits from the Dark Sky Reserve.

I also want to note that in some cases, you can’t just simply ask folks to turn off what’s considered unnecessary lighting. Over in Uttarakhand, researchers are battling increased light pollution to a number of telescopes, including the 3.6 meter Devasthal Optical Telescope. Scientists are looking to follow Ladakh’s example and build protections around the observatories in the form of becoming a Dark Sky Reserve.

This article from the Times of India mentions that despite an increase in astrotourism to the region, light pollution appears to be a wholly disconnected thought. As that lighting is needed to deter leopard attacks.

In some more optimistic news, Ruskin, this comes from you guys, the French are world-renowned for their tasty baguettes, affinity for fine cheeses, great wines, and…perhaps, could it be, now for their love of the night sky?

Officials expanded the Mercantour Dark Sky Reserve to entirely envelop the Mercantour National Park, increasing the square kilometers of the Reserve by 1,400 and the total population by 15,000 residents! This is a world first!

Before we depart from this topic of dark sky places, South Kerry, home to the gold tier South Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, is installing more monitoring stations. By and large, it appears that everyone is on board, though you can read some signs of concern creaking through, including Councillor Johnny Healy-Rae, who worried that such efforts could gradually induce suffocating restrictions on the community.

Ruskin, it wasn’t long ago, actually just a handful of months ago, that I came across some community objections to dark sky ordinances and policies. Those objections came in the form of the following allegation from an opinion column in Palo Alto Online:

“Can dark skies at night really be beneficial? Or is this a far-fetched idea designed to fool people with half-truths and exaggerated claims – perhaps with a goal of making this a profitable undertaking for DarkSky International?”

Does Dark Sky make money off of its designations?

Elsewhere in the policy space, had an interesting piece from up in Ottawa that featured past guest, Chetna Misra. As suburban Ottawa expands into former farmland, there’s a call for some type of light pollution mitigation action, be it in the form of a new bylaw or an educational campaign. The request is being championed by Councillors David Hill and Theresa Kavanagh, both representing suburban districts.

The issue derives from the lack of any kind of lighting constraints beyond a property standards bylaw that states ‘lights used to illuminate any area for vehicular and pedestrian traffic or parking shall be arranged to deflect light away from neighboring residential properties unless the light is required for public health and safety (Bylaw 2018 -113).’ I will also point out that Ottawa has municipal engineering guidelines for managing glare and utilizing shielding for its own streetlights.

And it’s not clear that there’s honestly much appetite for responsible lighting policies in Ottawa. The motion put forth by Kavanagh passed committee but won’t be considered, if it is even picked up, until after the October elections. Councillor Riley Brockington put forth a more sobering political reality, stating that “the contradiction with this one is my residents want more lighting, and they want less lighting.”

And I think, for those of you here with me today, this may not seem like anything new. Often, I get the sense that we look at populated areas and think, oh well, they’re a lost cause! But, some 30 years ago, a team of volunteers from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada created the Light Pollution Abatement Program. These folks, including current folks like Chetna, work with municipalities to install best practice design standards, not necessarily legal remedies.

Had an interesting health study this month. It might be more notable for its methodology, however. The study, out of JMIR, found that folks who took in sunlight had increased minutes of total sleep the following night, specifically, it said that for each additional hour of sunlight, there were around 11 more minutes of sleep that night. Conversely, when exposed to evening artificial light, there was no apparent association with sleep outcomes.

Researchers noted that this goes against the majority of the data out there and posit that the sample individuals entered the study already with a baseline of good sleep hygiene and tended to use relatively low light before bed. The study only had 21 participants (and 18 for the artificial light at night portion) and only looked at those participants over the course of 7 days. It also didn’t identify the color of the nighttime lighting, though intensity was measured.

However, given the constraints of the sample size, the results weren’t really what was interesting here. Rather, participants wore a headband that measured brain waves (also called electro-encephalography or EEG). This device accurately measures sleep stages, identifying for how long individuals incurred light, intermediate, deep, and REM sleep. This methodology is an improvement over prior studies that simply utilized wristband readings. The participants also wore a data logger that was clipped to their collar, identifying light intensities at all hours. For the purpose of this study, artificial light at night was defined as how long the participant was exposed to light above 30 lux for the two hour period prior to snoozing.

Elsewhere, in Clocks & Sleep, a team examined whether exposure to 5 lux, dim light at night during two critical developmental windows causes lasting disruption to the internal body clock and immune function of mice. I’ll note that 5 lux is about as bright as a night light.

The team exposed male mice offspring to dim nighttime light either during gestation or postnatally, then tracked rest-activity rhythms, clock gene expression from the spleen, and immune responses into early adulthood. Both groups showed disrupted daily activity patterns, a flattening of the spleen’s internal molecular clock oscillations, and significantly elevated immune cell recruitment when induced with an allergic-type challenge. The gestational group also showed increased antibody production during the allergic response.

I will note that the study used a melatonin-deficient mouse strain, meaning that the effects observed cannot be explained by melatonin suppression alone, pointing to deeper clock-gene mechanisms. Also, only male mice were studied. The takeaway the researchers wish to leave you with is that dim night light during pregnancy alone was enough to produce measurable immune and circadian disruptions in adult offspring.

Now, I’ve had this story on my docket for many of the past few months. Supporters will know it as it’s been included in the full news pull that they have access to each month. But the short of it is this, the city of Los Angeles’ streetlights are funded via property assessments, of which the assessment values pertaining to streetlights had held stagnant since 1996. In March, LA put forth a street light assessment ballot per State Proposition 218 asking voters if they’d accept an increase in assessment rate. The goal was to raise around $125M per year for streetlight installation and maintenance.

While everyone, their brother, and even the Los Angeles City’s Engineering report tells me how good streetlights are at deterring crime, apparently those same streetlights weren’t good enough to stop over 200,000 streetlights from being damaged by copper thieves! So the hope was to generate money to fix and install new lights in the city.

Every property owner received one vote, though the vote weight was biased toward properties that would incur a greater assessment value.

Well, you know what? When people realize that they’re forking the bill, streetlights suddenly don’t become the priority they once were. On June 26^th, just under 80% of voters rejected the proposal!

We had a story from Fort Lauderdale, FL earlier this year, whereby there was a contentious back and forth on streetlight implementation, that is, until the town council said that the residents wouldn’t be forking the bill….Ok, hah – if you say so! Just a reminder, those lights that pop up everywhere aren’t free. You’re paying for them, so you might as well make your voice heard about how they’re implemented.

And since we’re talking about taxpayers and streetlights, what about those quaint, old time gas streetlights? Yes, they look nice, and yes, they put out significantly less glare. Two studies assessed gas lights. One in Cincinnati found that these cute little lights are hardly efficient, probably not a news article, but also that they leak more than your average home appliance, allowing 4% of the natural gas piped in to simply escape into the air. Meanwhile, one assessing Boston gas streetlights largely confirmed the finding of excessive leakage, but also provided a monetary figure.

In 2024, Boston spent ¾ of $1M on 2,800 gas streetlights, coming in at an average cost of $261 to operate each light annually. Compare that with LEDs that researchers estimate, based on some back of envelope math on my part, to cost $30 per year to run.

How about that for some streetlight assessment!