PODCAST

Restoring Darkness

Scott Wachter

News and interviews related to the reduction of light pollution.Currently on hiatus.

science nature

All Episodes

50:12

Episode 54: Zen And The Art Of The Night Sky with...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/10/12

Mark discusses with Michael, practicing mindfulness when under the night sky. He proposes that astronomy was the first science, out of necessity. The night sky is the only view that hasn’t changed and now a large portion of humans can’t even see it. Mark says, whatever your view - clouds, streetlights - just be in the moment and enjoy what you have. (But still, let’s eliminate light pollution!) Mark Westmoquette is a mindful stargazing expert, astronomer, author and Zen teacher. Mark holds

52:54

Episode 53: The Guided Dark Sky Experience with Etta...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/09/22

Michael and John discuss with Etta how to engage people with Dark Skies so as to bring them back. Etta is taking steps to do just that with her company, Visit Dark Skies, where you can immerse yourself into a true nature experience with her audio-guided stargazing. Etta Dannemann, Dipl.-Ing., has been in the lighting industry for 10 years before founding VISIT DARK SKIES GmbH, a company dedicated to the experience of the natural night sky. As a lighting designer, she has been interested in

63:11

Episode 52: The Legal Recognition Of Light Pollution...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/09/10

There’s air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution. Why hasn’t light pollution been recognised the same way? This is the question Michael Colligan and John Bullock tackle with Yana. Of course it takes awareness, but also commitment. And it just might be that the best way to get commitment is to get it in the books legally. It’s a complex problem that Yana is dedicated to studying, and maybe… solving? We didn’t even get into her research on space law. We’re going to have Yana back

66:01

Episode 51: Light Pollution Cannot Be Measured…Yet...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/09/02

As you’ve heard on this podcast before, existing satellites are incapable of detecting the blue light of LED’s and thus produce incomplete imagery of light pollution. Ken explains to Michael how he and his colleagues are sending balloons almost 30 kilometers into the sky and beginning to map light pollution in a very unique way. Ken Walczak is the Senior Manager of Far Horizons at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago - a hands-on science, engineering and research program for students,

54:12

Episode 50: Light Pollution is Real with Catherine...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/08/17

Michael discusses with Catherine Pérez Vega the question: Is light a pollutant? Catherine is researching the effects of artificial light on organisms and there is little doubt that it is. And there’s little doubt that it affects the organisms called humans, as well. Obviously modern society needs some artificial light at night, but all the other organisms don’t. As Catherine says, “how do we apply artificial lighting for our benefit, but at the same time take care of the night time?”

37:31

Episode 49: Special Release: Night Restoration and...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/08/03

This special release of our series features Diane Knutson, a regional dark sky advocate / business owner turned Dark Sky International Board President. In this episode Greg Ehrich and Michael attempt to disentangle the need for jargon as a sales gimmick and the hurdle of hurdles jargon puts in the way of advocates and educators. Whether we end up calling what we do Night Sky Protection, Night Time Restoration or just Flipping the Switch the value of darkness at night continues to be there

58:52

Episode 48: Humans Are Not A Nocturnal Species with...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/07/27

Michael and John are thrilled to have Professor Foster on the podcast. He brings his deep scientific knowledge and understanding of circadian photobiology. Russell tells us about his discovery of the third photoreceptor in the eye for which he got a lot of pushback from the scientific community in the 90’s. They don’t push back anymore. Professor Foster is the Head of Oxford’s Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, the founder and Director of the Sleep and Circadian Research Institute and is

57:22

Episode 47: What is Perception? What Is Safety? with...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/07/06

In this episode you get three unique perspectives on urban lighting. Co-host Michael Colligan in Canada, co-host John Bullock in the U.K and guest Kate Hickcox from The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They discuss the challenges of lighting populated areas. Will more light decrease crime? Will less light? Perhaps it has to do with the kind of lighting. Listen to this, then join the conversation. Kate Hickcox joined PNNL as a Lighting Research Scientist in 2020. She is a creative

69:24

Episode 46: Light Hygiene with Bastian Groiss

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/06/15

As Bastian Groiss says, people see light as an enabler for vision. But light - sunlight in particular - is so much more. It triggers hormonal reactions, allows your immune system to recharge and gives the mitochondria the energy to repair your eyes. Of course healthy light during the day allows healthy darkness at night to do its thing. And stop wearing sunglasses! Bastian is of German origins with a rural upbringing. He is a former project manager, self taught wood worker and handyman,

70:18

Episode 45: The Invisible Infrastructure with Nona...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/06/08

John Bullock, guest co-host on this episode, asks the question, “How do we shift the argument so that we can start to talk about the reality of what we experience rather than the propaganda of what people tell us is a problem.” And from there, Michael, John and Nona discuss the history of street lighting, the unproven link between light and safety and the spiritual notion of light equaling safety. Perhaps, as Nona says, we need to reveal the “invisible infrastructures.”Nona Schulte-Römer is

63:14

Episode 44: The Finish Line with Michael Marlin

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/05/18

Michael and Michael - or “Marlin” as he likes to be referred to - delve into the practical and spiritual aspects of restoring darkness. Practical, as in not running someone over because you can’t see them from the glare of car and street lights, and spiritual, as in seeing the stars and the Milky Way allowing us to connect with the universe and our ancestors.Michael Marlin (aka Marlin) has been actively involved in Dark Sky advocacy for 35 years, initially as a theatrical director/producer

54:53

Episode 43: Darkness Acupuncture with Dr. Taylor Stone

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/05/04

Here on Restoring Darkness, we’ve talked about the impact of light pollution, how to restore darkness, and now, in this episode, Michael discusses, with Dr. Stone, the ethical aspects of restoring darkness and maintaining lights at night.Dr. Taylor Stone is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Science and Ethics, University of Bonn. He studied architecture and worked in the environmental non-profit sector before completing a PhD in Ethics of Technology at Delft University of

39:08

Episode 42: From Prison Yards To National Parks with...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/04/20

In part 2 of this podcast (find part 1 here: https://restoringdarkness.com/episodes/41-from-prison-yards-to-national-parks), Michael and Tim continue their conversation. Tim gives his perspective on outdoor lighting and energy savings in Massachusetts while Michael does the same from his Ontario Canada perspective.Tim is the Vice President of the Massachusetts chapter of the International Dark-sky Association.Find Part 1 here:

41:19

Episode 41: From Prison Yards To National Parks with...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/04/13

This one was so interesting, Michael let it go for an hour and 15 minutes. So we’ve broken it into 2 parts. In this, part 1, the conversation ranges from clean, affordable energy to controls to a popcorn analogy and the “windows effect.” Tim is the Observatory Manager and Technical Instructor at MIT's Wallace Astrophysical Observatory. Watch for Part 2, available soon. Connect with Tim: https://idamass.wordpress.com web.mit.edu/wallace Sponsor: Evluma www.evluma.com

38:47

Episode 40: The Business Case for Controls is Right...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/03/30

Ron installs and commissions lighting controls. He is an integrator who knows his stuff. In this Restoring Darkness episode, he and Michael make the case for controls in exterior lighting systems and wonder why the lighting industry largely ignores this application. Ron Kuszmar oversees Port’s Architectural and Theatrical Lighting Design & Installation departments, as well as their Lighting Control Systems and Equipment Sales teams.

53:54

Episode 39: Industry Alignment with Terry McGowan

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/03/16

Terry brings his vast amount of knowledge and experience to the question of industry alignment in the quest to reduce light pollution. Michael talks with Terry about the importance of educating everyone, from manufacturers and distributors right down to municipalities, which are some of the worst offenders. Let’s get on board with the 6 strategies for darkness restoration and preservation!Terry is involved in illuminating engineering/lighting design, lighting education and lighting

42:23

Episode 38: The Will To Deploy with Peter Brown

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/03/02

Where does the resistance to the adoption of darkness friendly lighting come from? Michael poses this question to Peter Brown. Michael and Peter discuss how and if it’s even possible to get the industry on board.With over thirty years in the lighting industry, Mr. Brown has sales and marketing experience in distribution, manufacturing, auditing, design and installation; both in the C&I and public sector markets.

36:49

Episode 37: In Praise Of The Dark Sky Park with Rémi...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/02/16

Scientific coordinator for the Mont-Megantic International Dark Sky Reserve, Rémi Boucher has been passionate about the starry sky and the night experience for many years. Do people believe that light pollution is actually pollution or a metaphor? Michael and Rémi dive into this question and tackle the complexities of maneuvering through municipal and state/provincial governments, environmentalists, lighting manufacturers and distributors, private landowners and… you can see how complex

38:57

Episode 36: #36 Dark Sky Restoration is a Win Win...

Restoring Darkness ·

2022/01/25

Abdul Dremali is an Palestinian/Egyptian artist with a passion for the night sky. Currently based in Reno, Nevada, he travels the world in search of dark skies for his astrophotography. Abdul advocates some sensible solutions for restoring darkness. We should all follow his example of his relationship with the moon and the stars. And check out his photos at what is perhaps the suavest URL ever - abdul.cool

53:12

Episode 35: The Importance of Non-Human Perspective...

Restoring Darkness ·

2021/12/15

Hannah Moon is a PhD Candidate at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa in Dr. Megan Porter’s vision lab. Her work focuses on understanding the physiological and molecular aspects of light perception in birds and has won multiple awards at scientific conferences. In other words, she’s trying to understand what birds are seeing. As you’ll hear, it goes beyond just the molecular structure of the bird's eyes. And yes, it’s but another species that can’t make it to the sea because of our

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