[Darksky]Re: Czech Republic Passes Light Pollution Law

["Karolyn Beebe" <keedo@merr...>]

Jan Hollan wrote > I forgot to publish the original Press 
Release here in time, sorry.. >>

Dear Jan,  
Your are forgiven! Judging by the notes below, you have 
been very busy since the media learned about the brave 
new Czech law. It was announced on National Public 
Radio on 3/25. The audio is linked in Light From Above:
 http://www.lightfromabove.org/index.html

Check the News Archives for another audio and article. 
These links are appearing as well in the pages of the 
International Dark-Sky Association: 
 http://www.darksky.org/ida/links/featured.html

These arrived this morning...

From: "Kevin Beamer" <k_beamer@yahoo...>
To: <VALighting@YahooGroups...>
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 8:48 AM
Subject: [valighting] Czech this out....

> Good middle-European food, great beer, and now this.
> I might have to move.
> 
> The article below is from yesterday's Washington Post:
> 
> The Czech Republic has become the first country in 
the world to pass a law aimed at reducing light pollution,
which has increasingly become a problem for
astronomers trying to study the heavens.
> 
> The law, which passed both houses of parliament and
was signed by President Vaclav Havel on Feb. 27, goes
into effect June 1. It requires citizens and groups to "take
measures to prevent the occurrence of light pollution of the
air," defining light pollution as "every form of illumination
by artificial light which is dispersed outside the areas it is
dedicated to, particularly if directed above the level of the
horizon."
> 
> Violators will be subject to fines of up to 150,000
Czech crowns (about $4,200), according to a statement
released last week at the International Dark-Sky
Association annual conference in Tucson.
> 
> "Many of my fellow citizens are as concerned as I
am about the glare created by poorly designed lighting;
they're happy action was taken," said Jenik Hollan, a
Czech astronomer who pushed for the new law.
>
--  Compiled from reports by Rob Stein

Clear and dark skies,
Kevin Beamer
____________________________________________

From: "Tim Poulsen" <poulsen@netacc...>
To: "sensiblelighting-list" <sensiblelighting-list@ggw...>
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 11:50 AM
Subject: SL-List [Fwd: NYT]

> Any of you see this article?
> 
> David Crawford wrote: 
> > Short note in the New York Times science section 
today about light pollution, IDA, and the Czech law.  Great.
> > 
> > Dave

From: "Margaret Holohan" <missy_holohan@juno...>
To: <sensiblelighting-list@ggw...>
Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 12:55 PM
Subject: Re: SL-List [Fwd: NYT]

Tim,  
 From today's NYT:  "Thankfully in the Dark 

Air pollution may be bad, but for an astronomer, light
pollution can be much worse. The glow and glare of
lighting - along streets, in parking lots and the like -
can seriously affect the observing ability of a telescope.

The International Dark-Sky Association has been 
working for years to raise awareness of the problem 
and to get communities to encourage or require the use 
of shielded light fixtures, which emit no light above the
horizontal. Some local and regional governments have 
passed laws requiring such fixtures.

Now, the Czech government has become the first to 
enact national legislation aimed at reducing light pollution.
The law, signed by President Vaclav Havel last month, 
calls for fines of up to about $4,000 for noncompliance."
________________________________________

Congratulations!!!!!

Karolyn Beebe
keedo@merr...