#45 DARK SKY CONSERVATION WITH LANDON BANNISTER

Whilst our heritage is tied up in the stars, linked to stories and our ancestors, our future health and that of our planet is too. Light pollution is creeping further and further into our wild spaces, increasing at around 2% per year. This impacts not only our own health, but that of wildlife and plant species too. As I discovered through my research for this podcast and from my guest, Landon Bannister himself, the problem of light pollution extends far wider than I thought. For example, 99.5% of all stars are invisible to the inhabitants of Singapore. In other examples, 99% of all of the USA and Europe is affected by light pollution; and one-third of humankind cannot see the Milky Way. These are scary facts indeed! Whilst some of the clearest skies are found in Chad, Central African Republic and Madagascar, Landon and his team are united in striving for Tasmania and other regions of Australasia to lead the way in both the prevention of light pollution as well as the restoration of our night skies. This podcast is empowering. It will change the way you think about flicking a switch and filling spaces with light. Your heart will reach out to the turtles of Florida and the disorientated migratory birds. You will begin to critique your use of bright, white LEDs and begin to understand how they can both help and hinder your wellbeing. Finally, you will never, ever take the night skies of Australia for granted again. ​