The city of Flagstaff, Arizona may seem like a peculiar place for the Virgin Islands to look for inspiration on public policy.
Nearly 300 miles from the ocean and an hour-and-a-half drive from the Grand Canyon, it is surrounded by desert, mountains and ponderosa pine forests.
But visit downtown Flagstaff on a clear night and look up. Despite being in the middle of a city of about 76,000 people, you will see millions of shimmering stars.
Far more, in fact, that you would see if you were standing in the middle of Road Town, where the population is around 15,000 at most.
Why? Because Flagstaff has worked tirelessly for decades to minimise light pollution. In 2001, it was officially recognised as the world’s first “International Dark Sky City” for its pioneering work in this area, which it claims to have carried out without compromising safety.
Since then, the Arizona-based non-profit organisation Dark Sky International has certified more than 200 “Dark Sky Places” in 22 countries on six continents.
Many of them, including Flagstaff, market the designation to tourists — a growing number of whom now plan their vacations with stargazing top of mind.
So far, none of the designated areas are in the Caribbean. This means the Virgin Islands could be the first.
But to date, the territory has developed with very little concern about light pollution. This is a big mistake.
In Road Town and other population centres, giant floodlights glare down in certain areas while others are left in the shadows. And one need only look across the water to the bright halo of light around St. Thomas to see the territory’s future if it does not address light pollution soon.
The International Astronomical Union urges national and local governments to safeguard “the right of any citizen to enjoy the vision of the starred sky” by establishing “dark sky oases” that are protected at night from excessive artificial light.
How to get it done?
Dark Sky International notes that certification through its programme “almost always begins with a small group of individuals seeking formal protection of their nightscape and setting a positive example for their communities and countries.”
From there, a municipality must come on board by taking various steps to minimise light pollution: implementing a lighting management plan; shielding outdoor lights from the sky and connecting them to timers or motion sensors; limiting the use of bright signs; using special bulbs; acknowledging dark skies as a protected resource; and establishing a light-measuring programme, to name a few.
If the VI wishes to seek accreditation, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke would likely be the best places to start, but we would love to see Tortola and Virgin Gorda follow suit as well.
Indeed, perhaps the VI could become the world’s first “Dark Sky Territory.”
But to start, no certification is needed.
The government, businesses and homeowners alike can begin switching to night-sky-friendly lighting solutions when they replace their existing bulbs and fixtures. The Dark Sky International website explains how.
The night sky is a beautiful resource that is too often taken for granted. The Virgin Islands should protect it.
