I am writing you today to encourage the swift passage of the Missouri Night Sky Protection Act. As you have read on the site: http://missourinspa.googlepages.com, there are many great reasons to adopt light pollution restrictions over our state parks, both economic and environmental. What cannot be quantified are the hopes and aspirations of our children, grandchildren and future Missourians. A book about the US flag published by Congress in 1977 states: "The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial".
A night under the stars gives our citizens an escape from daily hassles and an opportunity to contemplate life's greater questions. It has inspired writers and artists throughout history and across cultures. The United Nations La Palma Starlight Declaration mentions: "...the Starlight vista has been and continues to be an inspiration of the mankind, and its contemplation represents an essential element in the development of scientific thoughts in all civilizations." The extinction of this public natural resource is the same as the loss of our Ozark streams or any other ecosystem.
We have a simple choice to make this session, now. Either we let our stars fade away over our state parks or embark on a voyage of discovery like Lewis & Clark and seek the truth about light pollution and the knowledge to remediate it.
http://mcrol.trianglealumni.org Midwest Citizens for Responsible Outdoor Lighting
http://darkskycamping.googlepages.com Boy Scouts
http://www.unesco.org/mab/starlight/doc/shortdeclaration.pdf United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Starlight Declaration
Thursday, March 13, 2008
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