Landon Bannister

#45 DARK SKY CONSERVATION
WITH LANDON BANNISTER

Imagery by: Amanda Gormley, Taylor Leopold & Morgan Robson-Hatsukami.

“Our lights are getting brighter and the earth is paying the price”. - National Geographic

Landon Bannister is the President of Dark- Sky Association Tasmania Inc., a chapter of the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). Landon has worked in the lighting industry for over 20 years and is an invaluable advocate and educator for the important role that lighting plays in the human experience of the built environment. However, up-front I need to say that Landon is not an advocate for no lighting, but rather for the smart use of lighting.

“There is a difference between well-lit and brightly-lit. You can have a well-lit city or town whilst still enjoying the benefits of dark skies.”

The Dark- Sky Association of Tasmania vision for our state is to be a world leader in dark sky conservation and awareness. Their mission is to preserve and protect our night-time environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. From policy to education to advocacy, they would love to see our South-West Tasmania certified as a Dark Sky Sanctuary by the IDA.

So why is it important to preserve and restore our night skies? The answer to this question is both simple and yet complex. 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 Landon 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.

“Done well, LED lights could save the planet. Done carelessly, it could be devastating.”

Here are some simple solutions you can take to help reduce the effect of light pollution:
•   Opt of a warm amber glow in your LED lights
•   Use dimmer switches and motion sensors
•   Use down-facing shields on outdoor lights
•   Turn off unnecessary indoor and outdoor lights
•   Use dim red lights when moving around at night so as not to disrupt your nighttime physiology
•   Turn off devices for an hour before bedtime and filter blue wavelengths
•   Use drapes or blackout curtains to stop bird collisions
•   Keep lights low to the ground

Topics covered in this podcast:
•   The impact of lighting on wildlife and plant species
•   How LED lighting is increasing the levels of light pollution
•   The effect of glow, glare, LED and blue lighting on our health
•   How brightly lit areas are not necessarily safer
•   The push for Dark Parks and Dark Sanctuaries in Australia
•   The effect that one single earthquake in Los Angeles had on people’s belief systems
•   The importance of lighting design in urban environments
•   Energy consumption or urban design – what should be considered first?