David Ingram,  chapter leader of the Northwest section of the International Dark-Sky Association (Darkskies Northwest), spent seven weeks in Glacier National Park volunteering his time to show visitors a night sky they may not be able to see at home.

Read more in this article published in the Montana Flathead Beacon:

http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/

Beginning 5 July 2012 the Public Broadcasting Service will start airing The City Dark, a documentary that explores the problems of light pollution and the disappearance of stars from the night sky.

For nearly two and a half decades the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has been working to sound the alarm concerning many of the issues brought up in the film while advocating for greater controls of nighttime lighting. IDA Executive Director Bob Parks says, "We are delighted to see Ian Cheney's film get a national stage and hope that, before too much longer, many of the issues raised in the film will be behind us. The good news is that with awareness, light pollution is an easy problem to solve."

Astronomy, ecology, human health, crime and economics are some of the topics explored in the film which follows filmmaker Ian Cheney's personal exploration of the impact of light at night as he asks "Do we need the dark?" The film covers various aspects of light at night and features noted experts in their respective fields including astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, writer Timothy Ferris, cancer researcher David Blask, and many more.

Director Ian Cheney says, "We are thrilled to present The City Dark on PBS' amazing series POV, and what better week to air than the week of July 4th; perhaps the fireworks can serve as a reminder of all that glitters in an unpolluted starry sky, and encourage us all to do what we can to protect the night. We are indebted to our partners like the International Dark Sky Association for taking the lead in combating wasteful night pollution, and grateful for our viewers for tuning in and enjoying the film!"

For more on the film, to check local TV listings and to explore background information on the topic, visit the PBS website http://www.pbs.org/pov/citydark/. The PBS POV website will be streaming (in the U.S. only) the film online.

From the Olympian (www.theolympian.com):

"The Port of Olympia is under a directive from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard to improve its security lighting and emergency preparedness in and around the marine terminals and cargo yards....

The lighting upgrades provide the port with an opportunity to use more energy-efficient lighting and reduce light pollution from port operations.

Help IDA Refresh the Night Sky with Suburban Outreach Sites

Every year the Pepsi Refresh project gives away tens of thousands of dollars in grants to improve communities. IDA has proposed a project to bring access to the starry night to urban areas. Projects are chosen by popular vote. Please vote EVERY DAY in the month of December and help IDA bring you the night sky though SUBURBAN OUTREACH SITES.

Please visit:

http://www.refresheverything.com/citystarparks