Tomorrow I'll be doing a light pollution podcast with the president and vice president of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago. They sent a list of questions to me that may come up:
- What made you start thinking about the sky? You told me a great story about your mom sledding under starlight and Disney Wish Upon the Star intro. (When I was little, Mom would talk about her childhood favorite times. She'd often talk about sledding by starlight on farmland near the Mississippi River. I never saw starlight like that (until 30 years later)... but all-the-same I could see it vividly in my head and was lovin' it. I would think about the Disney's fairy who at the start of every show with Jiminy Cricket's song would add stars to the sky with her wand... after all, I watched Disney on TV regularly.)
- What are the major culprits of light pollution in Chicago?
- What are three recommendations you'd give to homeowners/the city as to how they could limit their light output?
- Are there cities in the world that are doing better at eliminating light pollution?
- What does a starry night do for us as humans?
- It seems so easy to fix, so why is it so difficult to get rid of light pollution?
- What are some of your favorite success stories for getting things changed?
Friday there is a Sustainable Cities Symposium headed up by Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn. In March '08 he did a great press conference honoring Homer Glen Township's first lighting ordinance passed in the state of Illinois that addresses light pollution. So I want to personally let him know about the boy scouts and StarParks program and other great things happening. But also, I need to let him know that Illinois is far behind the light curve on light pollution.
Also, I'm trying to build a case that links LP with depression and therefore violence: including domestic violence and suicide.
Anyway, I'm excited about the podcast. Please post a comment... and if you live/or work nearby... join the taping and the fun!
Here's the link to the podcast: www.lgpshow.org
Chicago's Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's podcast: Little Green People Show on Darkness
NEXT TAPING on 10/23: Darkness. Visit the Museum to join our studio audience, 1:20 PM.
Hmm, just noticed that was a live taping with studio audience... hope i don't freeze!
:>)
Aud
