New York Times (25 September 2023)

​A Bay Area Community Wants to Protect Its Dark Skies

A study released this year, based on observations from around the world, found the number of visible stars to be decreasing by about 10 percent a year because of the increasing use of artificial light. At that rate, half of the stars that are visible when a child is born will be obscured by light pollution when the child turns 18, said John Barentine, an astronomer and former director of public policy for the International Dark Sky Association.

Barentine emphasized that we’re only beginning to understand the full impact of light pollution, which has been shown to harm wildlife, including the pollinating insects we rely on for our food supply. “I do think this is one of the most significant environmental problems of our time that almost nobody knows about,” he said.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/us/bay-area-dark-skies.html