Over 95% of Missouri State Parks and Class 1 Areas Have Moderate to Severe Light Pollution Problems
The study shows over 95% of our state parks and class 1 areas analyzed have moderate to severe light pollution problems. In addition, over 75% are listed in the severe category.
Kansas City, MO, June 20, 2007 --(PR.com)-- MCROL, Midwest Citizens for Responsible Outdoor Lighting, operated by Robert Wagner of Kansas City, Missouri has posted the results of light pollution’s effects upon Missouri’s state parks and Class 1 Areas. The study shows over 95% of our state parks and class 1 areas analyzed have moderate to severe light pollution problems. In addition, over 75% are listed in the severe category.
Missouri fared worse than the study of 149 Class 1 Federal Areas that showed over half have moderate to severe light pollution problems.
With light pollution increasing at a rate of 5%-10% annually, it is expected that the current problem is far more severe. The National Park Service has mentioned, “Two–thirds of Americans cannot see the Milky Way from their backyard, and 99% of the population live in an area that scientists consider light polluted. The rate at which light pollution is increasing will leave almost no dark skies in the contiguous US by 2025.”
This study combined a 1997 light pollution overlay with Google Earth to create visual maps of each site. The light pollution overlay was furnished by: P. Cinzano, F. Falchi (University of Padova), C. D. Elvidge (NOAA National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder). Copyright Royal Astronomical Society. Reproduced from the Monthly Notices of the RAS by permission of Blackwell Science.
For more information visit:
http://www.trianglealumni.org/mcrol/mo.html
http://www.trianglealumni.org/mcrol/class1.html
http://www.trianglealumni.org/mcrol/
http://www.lightpollution.it/worldatlas/pages/fig1.htm
http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/lightscapes/
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Missouri fared worse than the study of 149 Class 1 Federal Areas that showed over half have moderate to severe light pollution problems.
With light pollution increasing at a rate of 5%-10% annually, it is expected that the current problem is far more severe. The National Park Service has mentioned, “Two–thirds of Americans cannot see the Milky Way from their backyard, and 99% of the population live in an area that scientists consider light polluted. The rate at which light pollution is increasing will leave almost no dark skies in the contiguous US by 2025.”
This study combined a 1997 light pollution overlay with Google Earth to create visual maps of each site. The light pollution overlay was furnished by: P. Cinzano, F. Falchi (University of Padova), C. D. Elvidge (NOAA National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder). Copyright Royal Astronomical Society. Reproduced from the Monthly Notices of the RAS by permission of Blackwell Science.
For more information visit:
http://www.trianglealumni.org/mcrol/mo.html
http://www.trianglealumni.org/mcrol/class1.html
http://www.trianglealumni.org/mcrol/
http://www.lightpollution.it/worldatlas/pages/fig1.htm
http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/lightscapes/
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Contact
Midwest Citizens for Responsible Outdoor Lighting
Robert Wagner
913.244.7608
www.trianglealumni.org/mcrol/
Robert Wagner
913.244.7608
www.trianglealumni.org/mcrol/
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