Light pollution does not improve, says ERCP

According to the results of an investigation, one in 50 people in England live nights without light pollution.

Work in the Rural England Preservation Campaign (ERCP) suggests that the situation has not improved since it raised the issue 12 years ago.

The group says that everyone should be able to witness the glory of a starry night.

But more than half of the participants said they could not see more than 10 stars in the constellation Orion.

The survey asked people to count the stars of this constellation as a measure of light pollution in their area.

Only one-tenth of the population could count up to 30 stars, while the Royal Greenwich Observatory says that up to 40 people could be visible by a person who has a keen eye through clear weather.

Only 2% of participants had a really dark sky that allowed them to see more than 30 stars.

• The night being "lost" in the artificial light
• Bright light, great pity

This is two times less than the previous number of stars in 2014. However, the ERCP can not say for sure how much the group of people who completed the last survey was similar to the one who dealt with this last survey. this.

A record number of 2,300 people took part in the count, and the group said the government, boards and the public should deal with the issue more seriously.

Star gazing is not the only reason for the longing for darkness: artificial night light can deprive people of sleep and harm health. It can also have disruptive effects on wildlife.

ERCP's Emma Marrington said the authorities should sift the lights as much as possible.

She also urged homeowners not to let outside lights out during the night. Their use has become increasingly affordable thanks to the widespread use of LEDs.

Ms. Marrington said, "Light does not respect borders and careless use can see it spreading to miles of cities, towns, businesses and highways.

"This translates to the loss of one of the most magical sites in the countryside: a dark, starry night sky."

Some boards had already reacted by turning off the lights after midnight, which allowed them to save money.

But they have often been accused of endangering people's safety.

The local government association told BBC News that it had not taken a stand on light pollution.

Highways England has stated that it has revised its lighting policy. A spokesperson told us: "We understand better where the nighttime accidents occur and the impact of the road lighting. We can therefore specify the sections to be illuminated rather than focusing on general lighting.

"Risk assessments will be performed to determine the need for lighting.If there is no case to keep, it will be put out of service."

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