Nighttime sky: A world heritage landmark?

PARIS, 6 June — Two-thirds of the world’s population is prevented by artificial light and other pollution from being able to see the classic nighttime sky. It is fortunately still visible in undeveloped areas and urban dwellers are invariably shocked when they realize what they have been missing. Now an international organization, the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), is demanding that UNESCO do something to prevent the nighttime sky from disappearing.

They want UNESCO to classify it as a world heritage landmark, asking that it be considered as a sort of endangered species.

If that were done, the nighttime sky — with its brilliant twinkling stars and virtual lack of pollution — would be protected in the same way that such other world landmarks as the Parthenon, the great Pyramids, Versailles or the legendary royal city of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka are protected. As it happens, the nighttime sky no longer exists for much of the world; indeed IDA estimates that more than two-thirds of humanity is presently "deprived" of the nighttime sky that it knew in its childhood.

According to a French scientist, "The night just doesn’t exist any more in our large cities. Everything is now illuminated with artificial light. Perhaps this illumination brings us greater security, but it is also responsible for ‘light pollution’ to which we are increasingly subjected."

Recently-produced satellite photos provide 3-D global coverage. They have made it more evident than ever that not only is the nighttime sky a thing of the past in the West where 150 years of industrialization are largely responsible but also that the phenomenon has now accelerated so much that it is a global problem. Even parts of central Africa have lost the dark skies that were plainly visible less than a decade ago.

Such personalities as Jan Hollan, a Czech astronomer, have decided to band together to warn the world that if nothing is done soon, there will be no nighttime sky left for anybody in the world to enjoy any more.

Hollan admits he’s somewhat pessimistic about persuading people to use less light but nevertheless he was one of the architects of a law, recently signed by the Czech Republic president, according to which strict standards are now set for the nighttime illumination of the Czech sky.

Although a number of other countries are now studying similar laws the Czech Republic remains the first country in the world to have actually introduced measures that offer hope for the nighttime sky.