Inter-Commission B7-C1 WG Achieving Sustainable Development within a Quality Lighting Framework

Description

International and national bodies have set out broad principles of sustainable development. A sustainable development strategy, Securing the Future, sets out five ‘guiding principles’ of sustainable development: living within the planet’s environmental limits; ensuring a strong, healthy and just society; achieving a sustainable economy; promoting good governance; and using sound science responsibly.

These principles align with the International Astronomical Union XXVII General Assembly Resolution 2009 B5, which declares that there is a universal right to starlight. It recognizes that:

1. The night sky has been and continues to be an inspiration of humankind, and that its contemplation represents an essential element in the development of scientific thought in all civilizations,

2. The dissemination of astronomy and associated scientific and cultural values should be considered as basic content to be included in educational activities,

3. The view of the night sky over most of the populated areas of the Earth is already compromised by light pollution, and is under further threat in this respect,

4. The intelligent use of unobtrusive artificial lighting that minimizes sky glow involves a more efficient use of energy, thus meeting the wider commitments made on climate change, and for the protection of the environment,

5. Tourism, among other players, can become a major instrument for a new alliance in defense of the quality of the nocturnal skyscape.

The goal of the working group focuses on education, using the above concepts, since through educating future citizens will help reorient education towards sustainable development, in order to empower the world's 60 million teachers to become key agents of change, and through them reach local – global authorities and change the situation.

Using as a tool successive programs, as good practices and as a source of organized integrated knowledge we intend to establish a strong professional network with pre-service teacher courses as well as the in-service education of teachers, at all levels, education policy-makers, and authors of educational materials, with final target to integrate the concept of quality lighting and the Light Pollution topic to the national educational environmental curriculum.

Margarita Metaxa (in representation of C1) and Constance Walker (in representation of B7) are Chairs of the WG. The Chairs have invited members of the Union to be part of it. (See the membership list.)

A detailed description of the plan of the WG is presented here.