join as a
volunteer
Local Solar System Foundation
GET INVOLVED
Get involved in the initiatives promoted by the Local Solar System Foundation, You can become a volunteer or a donor and support our Global Goals.
When you donate to the Local Solar System Foundation under any of our Initiatives, you join an international network of individuals committed to protecting and reversing the damage done to our Planet. You will receive timely and relevant information about the Initiative you have supported with information on actions around the world and how you can help locally.
The Initiatives promote events with the help of various private Individuals. Please join us as a volunteer:
You can help us fight light pollution and protect our night sky. Advocates of the Local Solar System Foundation are on the ground, making a difference every night by spreading the word about light pollution to their friends, neighbors, communities and anyone who will listen. You can help with these efforts by wearing a luminescent Light foundation bracelet every night, wherever you go. By acting and spreading the word, you can make a difference.
Inspect the lighting fixtures in your neighborhood
Poor lighting creates glare and light pollution and wastes enormous amounts of energy. With open light fixtures, at least 35% of luminescent energy is wasted. This also translates into lost money for your neighborhood or city. Take a few moments to inspect your property for inefficient, poorly installed and unnecessary outdoor lighting.
Find fixtures that are covered and reflect only to the ground. Light that is within the warmer spectrum and that is clearly directed to the ground is much healthier for you and the sky.
Use dark-sky-friendly lighting at your home and business
Wear your bracelet at night and talk to your friends, family and neighbors
You can be a powerful dark sky advocate for your area. Solving the light pollution problem involves raising awareness of the issue so that people are empowered to make better decisions as officials, consumers, voters and citizens. Use some of our media to educate the people around you.
Spread the word online
Engage your social networks in the issues and explain why they should support the Local Solar System Foundation.
Share, with all your contacts, the TV ads and videos available on the Local Solar System Foundation YouTube channel.
Redistribute and tag all our media on your social media accounts. Use hashtags like #localsolarsystemfoundation.
Start a chapter
If you are a sky enthusiast and love the stars, you can start a chapter of the Local Solar System Foundation in your community. Being a chapter volunteer is immensely rewarding, and you can help us get out the message (while stargazing at the same time). Prepare some warm drinks and gather with your friends next to a bonfire. Be sure to bring a nice telescope and to wear your bracelet. You can order merchandise for your chapter meetings from us.
Set up tables at local events
Do you have a town fair coming up? The Local Solar System Foundation has public outreach materials that you can use to educate your community about light pollution and protecting the night skies. You can have a donation jar or support us by buying an outreach package to spread the word.
Give a talk
Environmental groups, astronomy clubs and education-related organizations often have guest speakers on various topics. Ask around and see if any of these groups might be interested in learning about light pollution and the importance of dark skies. To help with your presentation, use our presentations and other public outreach materials, including our videos.
If needed, we can also allocate one of our speakers. The Foundation maintains relationships with various specialists who would love to share their views on the initiatives with the world.
Advocate for a lighting ordinance in your community
Local lighting ordinances ensure that your community is addressing artificial light at night. Observe the public fixtures in your neighborhood and find out if yours has a lighting ordinance. See if the ordinance is sky-friendly, If not, try working with your community to pass or amend one. If your town does have an ordinance and is sky-friendly, you can help by making sure that it’s being enforced.
We are creating chapters all over the world. You can help us locally by creating or joining a chapter in your area. To join or start a chapter, please write us at chapters@localsolarsystem.com.
Other Light
Pollution Tips
You can protect human and animal health by following these tips:
Light pollution not only affects your health but also severely affects animal patterns.
- Use dimmers, motion sensors or timers on shielded outdoor lighting fixtures to minimize glare and light trespass.
- Use infrared camera systems when possible.
- Use lower-temperature LEDs and compact fluorescent bulbs that are shielded.
- Turn off unnecessary indoor lighting, particularly in empty buildings at night.
- Maintain as much overnight dark as possible.
- Leave the bathroom lights off at night. If necessary, use a dim red light that will not disrupt your nighttime physiology.
- When available, use apps that filter out the blue wavelengths that your handheld electronics emit.
- If you live in a high-rise building, avoid directing TVs and screens into the windows. Use privacy filters, drapes or blackout curtains to reduce bird collisions.
- Avoid screen use one hour before sleep. Use only warm indirect light in your home.
Color temperatures higher than 3500K are typically used for commercial and hospital applications, as the light is bright and has a bluish daylight cast that can be harsh for home interiors. However, task lighting may be useful at 4000K and above. When selecting new lighting for your home, be sure to take its color temperature into account to ensure that you’re making the right choice.
NOTE: ENERGY COST BASED ON ONE HOUR OF DAILY USAGE AT .22 CENTS PER KILOWATT-HOUR.
Understanding Kelvin
Color temperatures are measured in Kelvin (K). If you’re wondering what that means, here’s a quick overview of the lighting you might be familiar with and the corresponding Kelvin temperature. Kelvin is used in lighting to measure the color temperature of a particular light bulb. In short, the higher the Kelvin rating (expressed in K), the whiter the light will be.
Light bulb color temperature is represented in the unit of absolute temperature, Kelvin, noted by the symbol K. Household fixtures are commonly found in color temperatures on the Kelvin scale of 2700K (warm incandescent), 3000K (warm white halogen) and 3500K (household fluorescent).
The graphic above shows the different types of bulbs and their positions on the Kelvin scale.
When talking about the Kelvin scale as a reference, we could say that the scale starts with a warm glow produced by a candle or an early sunrise, which would measure around 2,000K. As you move up the scale from 2,500K to 3,500K, you move through warm color temperatures that an incandescent light bulb would produce. From 4,000K to 5,000K, you experience noon daylight, which begins to show cooler color temperatures with some blue light present. From 5,000K to 6,500K, you’re in the range of a daylight sky or cool white, also known as full-spectrum color temperature. From about 7,000K to 9000K, you’ll see the effects of a deeper blue sky, which is not easily producible with light bulbs other than the color 1000.