[Darksky]Re: congratulations (fwd)

[Jan Hollan]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 27 May 2002 22:15:51 +0200 (CEST)
From: Jan Hollan <jhollanAamper....muni.cz>
To: Lylly Campins <adminAdarksky...>
Cc: Pavel Suchan <suchanAobservatory...>
Subject: Re: congratulations

> Congratulations on your IDA Executive Director's Award. Your efforts
> have helped advance the International Dark-Sky Association's mission.
> Together we truly are making a positive difference.
>
> The IDA would like to announce your award to local press in your area.  
> If you are amenable to this, please send us the names, faxes, emails,
> or mailing addresses of the appropriate media contacts in your area
> that should receive the press release from us.

Dear Ladies,

I'm attaching a partly edited local Brno media list, made from the Czech
one used by the Ecological Institute, even more addresses could be
discarded. I tried to change the Czech-specific letters in the original
msword file, some have remained, it's hopefully corrected in the html and
txt version.

Tomorrow, my colleague Pavel Suchan from the Prague Observatory will send
you a list of e-mails of all important Czech media, sorry for the delay.
 
> If you would send us a few sentences about what you have done or about 
> upcoming events in your area, we will include that information in the press 
> release as well. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness and further 
> the cause, so please help us get the word out about what you are doing.

Perhaps so:

I'm still educating people on the quality outdoor lighting issue. Copying
the Lombardy law in a bit simplified way, I've prepared a draft of the
Statutory Order demanded by the Czech Clean Air Act as regards the LP and
I'm working on its further amendments, seeking collaboration worldwide
(continuing help from Italy, but, e.g., today also from Slovenia and from
FLAP, not speaking about IDA itself, are to be mentioned at least). The
current status is always visible in the http://www.astro.cz/darksky and
the links from there. 

The draft is a basic working stuff for an advisory committee of the
Ministry of Environment and for the Ministry itself. I hope it will pass
in an even more effective version, with limits on the luminances of the
artificially lit surfaces at night (1 cd/m2 should always do, when no
safety standard demands more in special cases), bird protection measures,
windows illuminance limits etc. 

Many journalists from abroad want to know more about the Act and further
development, some have visited Czechia for this purpose already and
another are to come. Some lighting people in Czechia began to illuminate
their towns in a non-polluting way years ago and proceed very well in the
last year, without being forced by the law, just understanding that fully
shielded lighting is the best one.

Dr. Marta Manouskova from Czechia, a Brno specialist in labour hygiene,
took part in the
   Linkname: Cologne Symposium 2002 - Light, Endocrine Systems and Cancer
          Facts and Research Perspectives, International Symposium, May
          2-3, 2002 University of Cologne, Germany
        URL: http://www.uni-koeln.de/symposium2002/
 thanks to the generousness of the organisers. She is a strong ally in the
prevention of light pollution now, with a background stronger than anyone
else in Czechia.

In Brno, there will be a firework on June 1, as a gift to children to
their International day. I've spoken with the director of the lighting
utility today, on a possibility to suspend at least part of the street
lighting that evening so that the firework would be visible much
better. It could be a kind of a celebration of the Clean Air Act as well. 
Perhaps the Masaryk University will switch off its horrible lights by the
Faculty of Economics and Administration, it could be another celebration
of the Light pollution prevention becoming a part of the valid law. I'll
keep you informed on these current perspectives. 

> Thanks for being part of our team!
> 
> 
> Elizabeth M. Alvarez del Castillo
> IDA, Associate Director

thanks for your wonderful support,
 clear skies,
  Jenik