Selling Short our Children's Future Dark Sky

I remember looking up at the sky from my suburban home and seeing the Milky Way shining like a silvery belt across the moonless night. I remember being spellbound by the thousands of stars and asking my father how many there were. After years passed, I remember the pride I had two years ago when I moved into Helotes, Texas and found out that the City Council had passed a plan to bring the dark sky back to my neighborhood.

Unfortunately, I am now deeply disappointment in the city where I live. This pain began when I found out that the City Council had quietly passed a new lighting ordinance last month which guts the 2006 measure and eliminates the hope that we will again be able to see the Milky Way from our Helotes back yards.

The July 2006 lighting ordinance had programmed a generous schedule during which businesses and home owners had years to replace their outdoor lights so that glare would not be directed upward into the sky (and into each other's back yards). The city had grandfathered existing lights, only requiring that they be replaced with lights that comply with the ordinance by 2012 - six years from date of enactment.

As of 2009, the only lights affected had been fixtures on new commercial construction. Only those who had installed new outdoor lights since 2006 were required to meet the standards - essentially a standard which said that the light would not have a direct beam of light shining uselessly into the sky. Unfortunately, there have been a number of new construction projects erected along Bandera highway the last two years which did not meet the standard. But, instead of enforcing the standard, our Council chose to replace the ordinance with one where ALL existing lights are grandfathered FOREVER.

The new ordinance does not simply "clarify and simplify outdoor lighting requirements" as stated in the draft minutes of the last meeting of the City Council. The new regulation abandons all effort to achieve dark skies in Helotes. The new ordinance does NOT "continue dark sky compliance" as reflected in the minutes. It eviscerates the ordinance in a way that dark sky compliance can never be achieved.

Helotes occupies important space between the light sensitive neighborhoods surrounding Camp Bullis and the Government Canyon State Natural Area. The protected habitat of these areas is adversely affected by urban light pollution. Why would City Council choose to take steps backwards away from light control at the very time that surrounding areas are trying to discourage light pollution? This makes no sense.

2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, for heaven's sake! I am a member of the San Antonio Astronomical Association, the Astronomical League, and the International Dark Sky Association. One of the reasons I live in Helotes has been our stance to protect the night sky. I have been proud to hold up Helotes as a model city attempting to bring its lights into compliance with the goal of every lighting fixture being a full cutoff light. However, I now find that all mention of private homes has been eliminated from the new lighting ordinance. No longer are Helotes residents encouraged by the ordinance to have full cut-off lighting. I am outraged at this abandoning of example and responsibility.

I feel deeply wounded and ill at what our Helotes leadership has decided to throw away. From correspondence with Benjamin Jones, the young man who worked so hard for years to have the 2006 lighting ordinance passed, I know that he is sick at heart to hear what the Council did when they abandoned our future.

I have published this critique in my Astronomy Blog, highlighting the irresponsible action taken by our city of Helotes during this Year of Astronomy. Instead of increasing protection of our dark sky, we now embrace fresh light pollution. I intend to bring the city's action to regional and national attention. I will be transmitting this critique to National Geographic magazine which had a recent cover story on Dark Skies. I will be contacting the Discovery Channel to make them aware of the new stance of the Helotes City Council on Dark Skies. I will let the International Dark Sky Association know of the new Lighting Ordinance and how the City Council believes this new ordinance "continues dark sky compliance." I will contact the Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy regarding Helotes' stance and the effect on threatened bird species. I expect that the San Antonio print and television news groups will continue their interest in Helotes dark skies.

I grew up believing that "The truth will set us free." I also grew up knowing that good never came from pretending. This action by the City Council will see the light of day.

What can be done? I encourage the City Council of Helotes, Texas, to reinstate the July 2006 lighting ordinance and begin to educate builders in our city how they can comply with that ordinance. I encourage the city leadership to help people understand how they can improve our sky and why that matters.

The way forward is not to abandon good effort to make our sky dark once again - it is to make the requirements of the ordinance easily understood. Train us. Don't abandon the cause as hopeless. Help us all achieve the goal! Don't tell us that our only path is the path of failure.

I dream that one day our children will once again look up at the Helotes sky in awe. The Milky Way will be clearly visible. The children will be looking at thousands of stars instead of a couple dozen when they ask their parents how many stars there are out there.