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News Inspiration

What Happens When we Flip the Switch?

You’ve discovered something that—without your help—much of the world may never come to know: the vast universe that exists beyond our urban and rural lightscapes.

The short videos below are shared by just a few of IDA’s most dedicated volunteers and advocates. They demonstrate the diversity of our community and some of the many things that “flip our switch” to continue to fight for the night. Each video is less than 90 seconds, and I hope that one (or more) touches you, motivates you, and inspires you to join us.

 

Join us. Make a contribution.

 

If you’ve already contributed to IDA’s 2017 Matching Gifts Challenge, we thank you for your support!


 

Sriram Murali is the creator of the award-winning video, Lost in Light, and a passionate advocate for IDA. Listen to a story from his childhood about the night, and how it helps us find our place in the world. If you enjoy this video, also check out our recent interview with Sriram, here.

 


 

Lauren Scorzafava grew up in a tiny town in Massachusetts where there were no streetlights. Then, she went away to college in a big city and discovered that she could no longer see the stars. She says that she found herself “completely lost.” That was when she realized the night sky is a resource worth protecting. Lauren is IDA’s Communications Support Volunteer.

 


 

Dash Feierabend is a wildlife biologist studying animal behavior in Alaska. Dash shares his observations about the impact of light pollution on lynx and snowshoe hares. “Many animals are adapted to living their lives in the dark,” he says, “and they’re not able to flip an evolutionary switch whenever we turn on our lights.”

 


 

The nursery rhyme ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ may have begun Paras Pirzada’s love for the night, but her appreciation for its central place in her life has only grown with time. Paras is IDA’s Social Media Volunteer and says beautifully, “The sky is so grand and majestic that we don’t always realize that it needs protecting too.”

 


 

Kerem Asfuroglu is a lighting designer and illustrator based in the United Kingdom. He’s spent his career thinking about our relationship with light. Kerem created this graphic meditation on what a light polluted world means for the next generation and our connection to the universe.

 

If you’d like to learn more about becoming an IDA volunteer, please contact us. Send a cover letter and resume to [email protected].


 

PLEASE JOIN OUR FIGHT TO PROTECT THE NIGHT

Right now, we’re asking you to financially support IDA’s mission and programs. Please help us meet our $140,000 goal for our 2017 Matching Gifts Challenge. Fully 80% of our annual operating budget comes from contributors like you, and we need your support—now more than ever—to continue our collective efforts to protect and restore the night sky. If you give before August 11th your gift will be matched dollar for dollar. Please make a contribution today!

If you have already given to the campaign, we thank you!

 

Join us. Make a contribution.

 

If you can’t make a gift today, we will appreciate your support of our mission in any form. Here are twelve ways to get involved right now.

 

Get Involved.