I should like to make some comments on this subject. I am writing as a member of the British Astronomical Association, the Society for Popular Astronomy and as Astronomical Secretary of the Hampstead Scientific Society, a society which celebrated its centenary in 1999.

  Our Society runs a public observatory in Hampstead Grove London. It is the only such establishment to which the general public has regular access to an astronomical telescope. Each year this facility encourages ordinary people to take an interest in the science of astronomy and each year several hundred members of the public take advantage of it.

  I have been demonstrating at the Observatory for over 30 years. During this time I have seen a steady decline in observing conditions due to light pollution from badly designed street lighting and poorly positioned security lighting. It is now so bad that the only celestial objects that can be shown to visitors are the Sun, Moon and brighter Planets. The glorious views of star clusters and nebulae are now totally denied to visitors. Under good dark skies, stars down to the sixth magnitude should be visible to the unaided eye. Now, at our observatory, we feel fortunate if we can see stars of the third magnitude.

  Children and young people living in large towns and cities can no longer experience the magnificence and beauty of the night sky and many have never seen the full glory of the Milky Way.

  I also operate my own private observatory in Finchley, north London. When we moved here, 30 years ago, the Milky Way could just be seen under good conditions. Now we have to suffer from terrible light pollution from such establishments as the Copthall sports centre which has floodlighting. This also affects the University of London Observatory at Mill Hill.

  Badly designed lighting and the resultant light pollution is literally ruining the study of astronomy in this country by both amateur and professional alike, but quite apart from this it represents a gross waste of energy and natural resources.

  In a world which still relies on the generation of electricity by consuming fossil fuels and considering the facts that these fuels are not inexhaustible and that their source is controlled by less than stable political regimes, I would have thought that any responsible government would strive to prevent any unnecessary wastage of these resources.

  The generation of electricity by burning fossil fuels also contributes to the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere which is contributing to Global Warming. I understand that the Government, which is a signatory to the Kyoto Agreement, has agreed to reduce the volume of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. This is another excellent reason to save energy waste by redesigning lighting fixtures. Light should be directed to the areas where it is needed and not up into the sky where it is not!

  I am certain that better designed lighting would considerably lower our consumption of dwindling fossil fuel reserves and significantly reduce our contamination of the atmosphere by "greenhouse gasses". These are worthy causes in their own right but if it also improves conditions for astronomers and allows the general public to view the splendour of the night sky, it must be a measure well worth taking.

  I strongly urge the Select Committee to produce legislation to control the design of all street, security and sports field lighting, to reduce the present levels of light pollution and formulate planning regulations to enforce it.

1 April 2003