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MPF Webinar: Dark Sky as a Natural Resource

July 31, 2024 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm CDT

At any given moment, half of the Earth’s surface is experiencing night. Electrification and industrialization have altered the nature of the night. Today, more than 80% of the world’s population and 99% of North Americans, live under light polluted skies. Excessive and misdirected outdoor lighting disturbs the ecological balance in the environment by adversely affecting plants as well as birds, insects, bees, other pollinators, and wildlife in general. Bad lighting affects humans by disrupting the circadian rhythm, and by causing glare that is harmful for pedestrians and drivers.

Darkness at night is a valuable but underestimated natural resource. With urban sprawl and the rise in LED light usage, we are losing this resource at an alarming rate which threatens the well-being of all living beings and the ecological health of our environment.

In this webinar presentation, Dr. Vayujeet Gokhale will clearly describe the problem and solutions to light pollution, based on the Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting. He will outline the environmental impacts of light pollution on all living things, particularly on migratory birds, and will explore ways to preserve darkness at night in order to help fulfill the mission of the Prairie Foundation “to protect and restore prairie and other native grassland communities” in our great state.

The webinar, to be held via Zoom, will include a presentation and a live question and answer session. Please register below at the link. The webinar will be recorded, and sent to all registrants, as well as posted to our YouTube channel.

Cost: Free

Register directly with Zoom to attend the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ag4LYiZ6Ql-qIJqxpBXotg

Dr. Vayujeet Gokhale is a professor of physics and astronomy at Truman State University.  He earned his BSc. in physics (’96) and MSc. in nuclear physics (’98) from the University of Bombay, followed by a PhD in astronomy from Louisiana State University (2007). He lives just outside of Kirksville, Missouri with his wife Michelle, two young kids, a dog and a cat. Dr. Gokhale maintains his sanity by watching Seinfeld, Quentin Tarantino movies, and listening to dad rock. Dr. Gokhale loves the night sky and America’s National Parks, and dreams of someday becoming an astronomy park ranger at the Arches National Park in Utah.

Photo by Dr. Vayujeet Gokhale

Details

Date:
July 31, 2024
Time:
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm CDT
Event Category:

Venue

Zoom
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