In response to a request from the Carpinteria Valley Association (CVA), the Carpinteria City Council issued a Proclamation recognizing the week of April 2-8, 2024, as “International Dark Sky Week” in the city of Carpinteria.

“The goal of this annual international event is to raise public awareness of the effects of light pollution and how simple it is to reduce it with responsible outdoor lighting,” CVA President Mike Wondolowski said.

The city’s action during the March 25 meeting affirms its recognition of the value of dark skies, not only to allow us all to experience the joy of seeing the Milky Way and the constellations, but also for the health of wildlife as well as people.

Dark skies are impacted by light pollution, mostly caused by upward-pointed lighting and resulting in a waste of natural resources amounting to at least $3.3 billion and the release of 21 million tons of carbon dioxide per year in the United States.

“What is great is this is one of the rare forms of pollution that is completely reversible immediately – as soon as the light is turned off or pointed down, the pollution is gone, helping maintain the character of our small beach town,” Wondolowski observed.

The proclamation also “urges residents to learn about night sky friendly lighting, to implement practices and improvements that will reduce light pollution, and to look up and experience the wonder of the star-filled night.”

The first International Dark Sky Week was created by a high school student in Virginia in 2003, and was subsequently endorsed by DarkSky International, the American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical League, and Sky & Telescope magazine.

The Carpinteria Valley Association (CVA) was founded in 1964 and continues its mission to preserve and enhance the rural beauty of the Carpinteria Valley, especially its open field agriculture, and to maintain the charm of Carpinteria and Summerland as small beach towns.
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