Since the beginning of human history, we have had a connection to the night sky. The Ancient Greeks came up with constellations: images and stories created by connecting stars in the sky. Sailors would use stars to navigate, the main one being Polaris, found with the help of Ursa Minor (also known as the Little Dipper). Unfortunately, the use of the lightbulb has washed out most of these stars from our view. And it’s only getting worse now that cities are transitioning to LEDs with harsh color temperatures often close to 10000K.

Light pollution in our cities disrupts our natural sleep schedules, throws migratory organisms (such as birds) off course, confuses newly-hatched sea turtles, changes the seasonal pattern of trees, and much more. As light pollution continues to get worse, more and more aspects of the environment become damaged, the stunning night sky included.

If light pollution continues to worsen at today’s rate, future generations may not ever see or know what a star is: something that has always fueled human curiosity. Maryland, sadly, is contributing to this growing trend of light pollution. Locals, you may have noticed how originally warm-toned, yellowy-orange lights are being replaced with intense, white ones which are often uncomfortable to look at.

This past summer, I visited Flagstaff Arizona, a town comparable to the size of Frederick Maryland. Flagstaff has been a pioneer in reducing their impact on light pollution and it shows. Just a few miles outside of the center of town, you can see the milky way. Not in full detail of course, but you can still see it. But if you wanted to see it in full detail, all it would take is a 30 minute drive away from town and there it is. This isn't the case in Frederick, and this is only possible because of Flagstaff's efforts to minimize light pollution. After visiting, I knew something had to be done to protect the skies in the rest of the country, so why not start with my home state?

In order to combat the growth of light pollution, Maryland must become more like Flagstaff and put laws in place to ensure that light is being used in a responsible manner which minimizes light pollution. Shielding lights to ensure all light is pointing down, using bulbs which have a color temperature of 3000K or less, minimizing the use of billboards, setting timers for lights, adding dimming features to lights, and using proper blinds are all great ways to ensure light is being used responsibly and not escaping into the sky.

Let’s end light pollution, and take back the night sky once and for all.