Informing the Public on Light Pollution

Abstract:

Light pollution is a form of environmental degradation in which excessive artificial outdoor lighting, such as street lamps, neon signs, and illuminated signboards, affects the natural environment and the ecosystem. Poorly designed outdoor lighting not only wastes energy, money, and valuable earth resources, but also robs us of our beautiful night sky. Since 2003, the speaker's team has been conducting systematic studies of Hong Kong night sky brightness, an environmental indicator of light pollution. They have recently completed a comprehensive survey with 4.6 million night sky measurements of Hong Kong collected over almost 3 years. With these data, the speaker and his team are able to provide scientific results on the characteristics of light pollution patterns in Hong Kong and compare them against international standard.

In this talk the speaker will discuss the challenges and rewards of advocating dark sky in a city that is deeply engrained with her image as the "Bright Pearl of the Orient". In particular, the speaker will share his experience of communicating and educating the public and the media on the topic of light pollution, including lessons learned from organizing events for students, professionals, environmental groups, and the general public.