Night Blight campaign

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Night Blight campaign
Campaign to Protect Rural England / CfDS 2003
Night Blight campaign launch, May 9 Publicity
campaign on the increase in ambient light in the
countryside. Publicity launch at the Queens
House Greenwich. With CPRE President Sir Max
Hastings, Chief Executive Kate Parminster, CfDS
Co-ordinator Bob Mizon, Astronomer Royal Sir
Martin Rees.
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Light Pollution

• Night Blight

CfDS was advising and collaborating for 6 months
before the launch. The images in the brochures
are from the CfDS image library
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Light Pollution

• NOAA data UK light pollution increase from 1993
  to 2000

NOAA UK isophote data for 1993. for 2000
Isophotes for 1993 and 2000 Black 0-1.7 ..can
see MW when clear, Blue 1.7-50 MW visible
occasionally, light blue 50-150 can see MW very
occasionally, yellow 150-240.. And above ..never
see the Milky Way, Red... instrument saturation
24-255. The increase in the ambient lighting at
the second isophote level in just 7 years is
alarming. (NOAA/ CPRE)
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Light Pollution

• NOAA data UK light pollution increase from 1993
  to 2000

NOAA UK isophote data for 1993 and 2000 Black
0-1.7 ..can see MW when clear, Blue 1.7-50 MW
visible occasionally, light blue 50-150 can see
MW very occasionally, yellow 150-240.. And above
..never see the Milky Way, Red... instrument
saturation 24-255. The increase in the ambient
lighting at the second isophot level in just 7
years is alarming. (NOAA/ CPRE)
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Light Pollution

• NOAA data light pollution for UK regions,
  increase 1993 to 2000

West Midlands isophotes for 1993 and 2000 Black
0-1.7 ..can see MW when clear, Blue 1.7-50 MW
visible occasionally, light blue 50-150 can see
MW very occasionally, yellow 150-240.. And above
..never see the Milky Way, Red... instrument
saturation 24-255. The increase in the ambient
lighting at the second isophot level in just 7
years is alarming. (NOAA/ CPRE)
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Light Pollution

• NOAA data light pollution for UK regions,
  increase 1993 to 2000

East Anglia for 1993 and 2000 Black 0-1.7 ..can
see MW when clear, Blue 1.7-50 MW visible
occasionally, light blue 50-150 can see MW very
occasionally, yellow 150-240.. And above ..never
see the Milky Way, Red... instrument saturation
24-255. The increase in the ambient lighting at
the second isophote level in just 7 years is
alarming. (NOAA/ CPRE)
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Light Pollution

• Night Blight, some Headlines

NEW CAMPAIGN TO 'SAVE THE STARS' 09 May Light
pollution is chasing the stars from Bath's night
sky A Today programme/CPRE light pollution
exercise For the first time, maps showing light
pollution all over Britain are being published.
To try and find out the impact of this pollution,
we're asking you to go outside and count the
stars Light is blighting UK astronomy
Countryside campaigners have launched a new fight
to stop their view of the stars being blotted out
by light pollution. NO STARS IN OUR EYES BY
SEAN KIRBY 1200 - 09 May 2003 The more light,
the less we see. That's the case in Notts as
views of the sky at night are disappearing due to
"light pollution". How I wonder where you are
May 9 2003 By Hannah Davies, The Evening
Chronicle Light pollution in the North East has
reached such high levels that the Milky Way can
no longer be seen from anywhere on Tyneside.
Bring back the dark ages (Filed 10/05/2003)
News Stars not in English eyes Telegraph
STARRY STARRY NIGHT . . . IF YOU CAN SEE IT 10
May 2003 Campaigners against light pollution
have released 09 May 03 LIGHT POLLUTION GROWING
FAST, NEW MAPS REVEAL Light pollution rise of 24
obliterating night sky John Vidal Saturday May
10, 2003 The Guardian Campaign to darken the
night sky JONATHAN REDHEAD May 10, 2003 0548
STARRY night skies are disappearing across East
Anglia JAMES REYNOLDS ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT
AN OVERWHELMING majority of children in the UK
have never experienced total darkness The night
lights are going out all over Britain David
Williamson, The Western Mail
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Publicity

• May Night Blight major coverage in nearly all
  the National newspapers, and many editorials for
  the month, Radio 4, and TV on the day.
• June TV Broadcast BBC Countryfile
• The Political program BBC SW region from The
  Norman Lockyer Observatory Sidmouth.

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CPRE Herefordshire light pollution report form

• CPRE Night Blight Campaign

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Celebrities are endorsing our Night Blight
campaign.Brian May, Terry Pratchett, Jeremy
Irons, Joan Bakewell, Sir Patrick Moore, Libby
Purves, Prunella Scales, Ralph Fiennes, Sir Roy
Strong, Jilly Cooper

• CPRE Night Blight Campaign

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Our recommended action planThings you can
doAngle outdoor lights downwards use minimum
wattage bulbs fit hoods or shields to minimise
light spill ensure lights are switched on only
when needed, or fit a passive infra red sensor or
a lower wattage bulb. Approach neighbours -
with overly bright security lights and politely
ask them to angle them downwards, shield them
etc.Contact local MPs, urging them to press the
Government to actLobby your local council.
Contact officers and councillors responsible for
highways and land use planning, make them aware
of light pollution in their area , urge them to
implement the measures and policies set out in
our campaign materials.Contact local DIY stores
or their headquarters and ask them to stock
security lights that minimise light
pollution.Stores can withdraw the more
powerful, 300- to 500-watt security floodlights
from their shelves. We suggest a maximum of 150
watts, in line with the Institution of Lighting
Engineers' recommendation.They can ensure
information is available on installation methods
that minimise light pollution - in signage next
to the product on the shelves as well as in the
packaging.

• CPRE Night Blight Campaign

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Property developers, owners of commercial
premises, lighting manufacturers, specifiers and
installers can help tackle light pollutionThe
should recognise that light pollution is
everybody's problem, including their's, and take
the issue properly into account whenever
exterior lighting is considered. What the
Highways Agency can doSet a target date for
replacing all existing road lighting with low
light pollution, 'full cut-off' lighting.Bring
forward the replacement of lighting at the most
overlit junctions in both urban and rural areas
Consider use of solar-powered LED (light
emitting diodes) studs (rather like cat's eyes)
installed instead of road lights.Consult
communities affected by any necessary new road
lighting schemes about its impact and how this
may be minimised.Encourage more innovative
approaches to lighting large, harshly lit areas
like junctions. For example, one tall downward
angled light may create less light pollution than
several smaller lights.

• CPRE Night Blight Campaign

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What Local Authorities can doIntroduce a
policy to control light pollution into their
planning policies. This should includeInsisting
on light pollution assessment at the planning
stage of new developments. Badly designed or over
lit schemes should be sent back to the applicant
for modification Setting limits on light
pollution, including curfews, according to the
remoteness, darkness or other special qualities
of the area. There should be a strong presumption
against any powerful and intrusive exterior
lighting schemes in or on the edge of open
countryside. Ensure the environmental
statements required for major development schemes
address light pollution. Ensure consultation
takes place with local residents when installing
any new road lighting. Consider reducing the
number of road and street lights in over-lit
areas as part of any replacement programme.

• CPRE Night Blight Campaign

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What Government should do about light
pollutionDevelop indicators of light pollution
and then set targets to prevent the problem
getting worse. Set up a cross-departmental
group charged with drawing up the most
cost-effective and practical policies for halting
the growth in light pollution.Options
includeDefining light pollution as a Statutory
Nuisance and drawing up the regulations which
would enable local authority Environmental Health
Officers to deal with it introducing new
regulations through land use planning legislation
to allow planning authorities to control exterior
lighting, for example by defining areas of
special control over exterior lighting (we
propose the Outdoors Advertising Regulations as a
model) amending Building Regulations to cover
external lighting of buildings. Ensure its
proposed Planning Policy Statements will address
light pollution and acknowledge the importance of
dark landscapes to countryside quality and
characterEnsure policies of all Government
departments and the policies and operations of
public agencies take account of the need to
tackle light pollution - including the Highways
Agency and bodies such as the Millennium
Commission and the sports councils for National
Lottery-funded projects.Ensure highways
authorities develop policies to minimise light
pollution associated with road and street lights
in the next revision of Local Transport Plans.

• CPRE Night Blight Campaign

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We propose that the Government should promote a
public debate on the idea of a voluntary
'national switch off' for part of a night when
there is a spectacular event in the heavens, such
as a comet appearing at its brightest or a meteor
shower.

• CPRE Night Blight Campaign

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Write to the Prime MinisterIt is crucial to
draw the Prime Minister's attention to the recent
inquiry into light pollution and its
recommendations.The inquiry into light
pollutionThe House of Commons Science and
Technology Select Committee held an inquiry into
astronomy and light pollution this year. It
published its findings in October. The committee
found that light pollution was getting worse and
that the Government was failing to take the issue
seriously. The select committee made a number of
recommendations to reduce the problem of light
pollution - some of which we had proposed. We are
pleased the committee agreed with so many
points.No Government department appears
willing to head up the effort of tackling light
pollution. For this reason, we think it's
necessary to ask the Prime Minister to take
decisive action.

• CPRE Night Blight Campaign

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What we want from the Prime MinisterThe Prime
Minister could ensure that the following
recommendations of the select committee are acted
uponObtrusive lighting should be made a
statutory nuisance Clear planning guidance
should be provided to local authorities to
include consideration of lighting in local
development plans and in determining planning
applications, with regard to the effects of
lighting at night and not solely the appearance
of the lighting structures themselves The
Government's guidance Lighting in the Countryside
should be updated British Standards codes of
practice and guidance on lighting design and
power should be updated Dark rural areas, in
particular, should be protected from intrusive
lighting installation through local authority
planning policies The relationship between
lighting and crime prevention should be
investigated We also want the Prime Minister
toChange building regulations so they clearly
require that lighting does not pollute
surroundings when it is installed. Place strict
control over lighting installation in areas where
the character of the countryside would be damaged
by intrusive lighting. This could be achieved
through the designation of 'areas of special
control' by local authorities

• CPRE Night Blight Campaign