Going for it...

I want to talk about light pollution.
But I have a lot to say, so I am going to break it into two separate blogs.


I first heard about light pollution before I had any interest in astronomy.  I'm embarrassed to admit it, but to me light pollution sounded trivial compared to all the politically charged social issues that I believed to be most important.  I was pretty singularly interested in those subjects involving civil liberties and human rights.  To hear someone tell me we had a problem with light pollution was like a slap in the face to the things I felt to be the most righteous.  It probably didn't help that the only night I ever knew was that of suburban sprawl in which only a handful of stars exist.  I mean, what you can't see isn't there, right?  Clearly, that's the wrong attitude and in retrospect it's obvious that the opinions I held so dear in my late teens are indicative of a greater problem that (I believe) prevails in the developed world:  ambivalence to the natural world around us; something that existed before us, will undoubtedly outlive us, and ironically, the very thing that sustains us.  If more people fought for the things most fundamental to our existence, then perhaps we'd have less time to fight over the things that are, actually,  the most trivial.

The political issues of today are predominately those that are relatable for the masses: money and the religious affiliation (or spiritual philosophy) on which each of us builds our own personal identity.  So, the key is to make people care about human impact on the earth and, conversely, the impact the entire universe has on us.

And now I am getting to my point:

Science is absolutely the building blocks on which civilization is founded.  As such, the pursuit of truth through experimentation should be society's primary priority.  Not only should we learn about our natural world, but to be able to apply our discoveries so to live in accord with natural law.  As scientists, or just people who love the sciences, we have a duty to share our knowledge (and hopefully why it makes us feel impassioned) with our peers.  If we can share what we know in such a way that others can connect with it, we've done our job.  This has been the goal of this blog.  If you, the reader, have begun to view the universe with a sense of awe and amazement, then I am content.  The purpose of outreach is to cultivate a sense of universal appreciation of the world around us.

The problem is that we're losing sight of this element that is so crucial to our existence.  We've watched as our science budgets have been slashed.  Undoubtedly, we've all noticed the Republican assault on science and education.  Now, more than ever, it is of the utmost importance that we effectively demonstrate the beauty that is the natural world.  This requires a sense of humility, clarity, and most importantly, the love and fascination we each experience.  If we make science palatable to the masses we may be able to secure the national support it both requires and deserves.

So share your passion, keep learning, and communicate what you know.  And come back soon so I might unveil the many aspects of an issue so seemingly inconsequential: light pollution.