The Dark Side of Light

Light Pollution

Date: [Insert Date]

Time: [Insert Time]

Location: Mpls DID Nicollet Community Space, Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN, USA

This month the topic is light pollution -it’s causes, myriad impacts, and solutions. Good lighting can support vibrant, welcoming, engaged communities while protecting the natural ecosystems that residents of the region value. Poorly designed lighting that disregards best practices and community preferences results in light pollution that can waste energy, reduce the mobility of our seniors, reduce driver and pedestrian safety, impact human health and wellness, degrade ecosystems, fragment habitats, and break our cultural connections to the night sky while denying residents of their right to experience a natural night sky. Fortunately, there are low-cost and no-cost solutions that can help everyone reduce harmful light pollution while still enjoying the positive benefits of light at night.

Presenter Todd Burlet is a Delegate of DarkSky International, co-founder, board member, and president of Starry Skies North, the Minnesota chapter of DarkSky International, and a member of the American Astronomical Association. Todd is a retired staff engineer whose 37-year career in the aerospace industry spanned commercial, military, and space programs. Todd is a lifelong amateur astronomer and photographer, and when he’s not advocating for dark skies he enjoys canoeing, biking, and scuba diving.

Host or Publisher Mpls Downtown Improvement District