We forgot to ask the wildlife what they thought of light pollution
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The town where i was born, had its own electricity supply, water supply and waste water treatment, the town council invested heavy in the structure to be indĆ©pendant. But local government stopped and was restructured and bigger towns took overā¦ now the sites lay empty and unused which is sad, guess they will be turned into housing estates in future. Sorry for anyone living is the old water treatment plant!
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We still have local council water and sewage. Used to be local area electricity, bug it hss gone onto the national grid. Also used to be local gasā¦ the gas plant area is now a ground pollution problem.
When the internet started, there were local ISPās. They have all gone.
I dont know what drives centralisation, but it is the general trend?
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Forgot all about the 3 big gas towers we had to deliver town gas
Yes ISP local have all gone limited choice now
Remember getting free CDs on magazines with Netscape and a ISP package
Lycos. Geocities my first hosting company. All gone and forgotten.
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in some parts of the world - like much of the eastern block, light bulbs lasted a LOT longer than in the āfree westā - i.e. they didnāt have engineers driven by marketing twonks - they engineered things to last a lot longerā¦
I watched a fascinating documentary - which was inspired by that guy who reverse engineered some firmware in a HP printer so that it could print more than x number of pages (it would stop working after it clocked up a set page count)ā¦ vs light bulbs in East Germany lasting 5+ years, refridgerators lasting 30-40 years! And HP threatened that guy with all sorts of retaliation for daring such a thing too!
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There is now scientific evidence. Stargazing helps with your mental health
It is because we are made of stardust. We are looking at our origins.
Now, because 90% of the population are unable to stargaze because of urban light pollution, I wonder is there some substitute activity?
Any ideas for a substitute activity? Could computers help?
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Being able to stargaze due to clear skies and good weather could be like listening to birds and insects. The sounds can relax a person. If the birds and insects suddenly become quiet, it could be because there is a predator nearby. With clear skies and pleasant weather, it could also relax us.
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So would music be a substituteā¦ maybe only certain types of music?
The article said mental health and happiness. I guess that could mean much the same as relaxed? Tension is certainly a problem in modern life.
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Iām not a stargazer as such but do look at night sky from time to time.
I live in a light polluted area butā¦
Earlier this evening I looked out and the moon was like a segment of orange to look at.
Took pics of it with mobile but those just turned out white.
A substitution for a clear night live sky is a big ask.
For me there is none, but maybe there is for others in different ways.
My philosophy is make the best of what you have in life that makes you feel happy. Then I wake up stressed because thatās how life gets you.
Is there an alternative?
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Yes, and we should add, try to make others happy too.
You mean an alternative philosophy?
Yes , some people believe a life of sacrifice has meritā¦ some people believe seeking the truth is importantā¦ some people believe being in touch with nature helps.
There are probably other ways.
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No, it just seems we are born sort of locked into what life brings.
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We are certainly children of our timeā¦ except for a few outstanding individuals who are able to withdraw and see a broader picture.
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I life in the Netherlands. One of the worst countries regarding light pollution.
I would love to see the milkyway some time, but Iām scared of darkness. 
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You need to take a trip to a desert, or use a telescope. Even binoculars helps.
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Another perspective on light pollution from Australias indigenous community
If the night sky was your āHoly Bookā would you want its visibility interfered with?
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Something can be done to reduce light pollution.
Here is an example from an Australian city
It involves computers controlling lighting remotely.
Dont know if they use Linux?