P-03-260 The Campaign for Dark Skies

Wales has some of the darkest skies in the United Kingdom, but these sites are constantly threatened by wasted artificial lighting.  We want to protect these dark sites and reverse the tide of light pollution which has blighted the night since the 1950’s.

Despite recommendations by the Parliamentary Science & Technology Select Committee there is still no duty on authorities to tackle the problem of light pollution.

Light Pollution is a visible and needless waste of resources, which contributes to global warming and affects us all in various ways. Its adverse impacts are:

Wasted Energy - UK streetlights alone waste over £100 million a year; that money is spent generating light that is wasted directly into the sky (diverting light away from the street and towards the sky also results in our streets being unnecessarily dim)

Glare - People have died as a result of lights blinding car drivers and aircraft pilots

Human Health - Excessive lighting can cause medical health problems, ranging from stress to cancer

Crime - Bad lighting can be a security risk and encourage crime

Wildlife - Lighting has a detrimental effect on wildlife

The Night Sky - The smog of night-time light pollution prevents 90% of the UK population from seeing the natural spectacle of a sky full of stars.

We are not anti light, just anti bad light. With properly designed and properly fitted lighting we can mitigate the adverse effects of wasted light & energy.

The Welsh Assembly Government can lead the way in protecting our night environment and we are calling on Ministers to bring forward statutory guidance on exterior lighting and to assist local authorities in tackling light pollution. For more information on the problem, see our website

http://www.britastro.org/dark-skies/