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In the early 1990's, corporate America was seriously toying with the idea that huge illuminated billboards, large enough to be seen from earth, should be orbiting our planet. The immediate reaction by enlightened and educated Americans across our nation was to scream, "No! That can't happen. The skies must stay pristine and unpolluted for our children!"
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Yet, the unenlightened and uneducated continue to dismiss the need to preserve our planets greatest source of cultural heritage. In 1999, conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh ranted that any call for better control of air and light pollution obscuring the heavens was, "a plot fabricated by environmental whackos!"
Over the next twenty-four hours, his flagship station in New York and affiliates across the country were bombarded with telephone calls from enlightened Americans. They were insisting right winged Limbaugh apologize for his viscous attack on a subject he obviously knew nothing about. The next day he reluctantly said, "I'm sorry. I had no idea so many Americans were so passionate about the subject."
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Now the question arises, "Have you looked up at the night sky lately?" Indeed, for most people on Earth, the dark skies of our ancestors are disappearing. The problem is urban sky glow, due to ineffective lighting sources. Simply put, too many house and street lights are losing valuable light by shining much of it upward rather than to the area below it was intended to illuminate. This is not only a waste of energy, but also a waste of the worlds awe-inspiring sacred skies. The celestial wonders above our heads are linked to the development of the greatest cultures and civilizations. Pleading ignorance of the disrespect and disregard for our celestial heritage is no excuse.
According to the real authority on this subject, the International Dark-Sky Association, lack of awareness and apathy are the main problems. The solution is to get more people educated about the "how," as well as the "why" we should address this ever-growing problem. The stars and the universe need your help.
The sacred sky is a planet wide cultural treasure and you can help preserve this important well spring of human knowledge by educating your self at the...
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