Episode 132: Be A Good Neighbor with Patrick Sommer

Restoring Darkness

Patrick is the DarkSky International delegate in the Fargo North Dakota area. Patrick has found that framing the light pollution argument around astronomy, animal life, ecosystems, etc. can cause some audiences to nod off and glaze over. What gets everyone’s attention is “light trespass,” and human health. Lead with that and then people will listen to the other reasons why light pollution is a problem. And of course, there is the one argument that gets EVERYONE’S attention. Turn off your lights and save money! Patrick Sommer has been a lifelong enthusiast for the night sky, space exploration, and in late 2019 translated that enthusiasm into an application to be a delegate for the International Dark-Sky Association, now known as DarkSky International. Representing the organization in the Fargo, North Dakota area, by 2020 he was working social media accounts and as the world moved in and out of COVID restrictions getting in front of local sustainability and astronomy clubs. Additionally, he has represented the night to the now dormant Red River Valley Climate Action Committee and presented information on light pollution to the City of Fargo’s Sustainability and Resiliency Committee and the City of Moorhead’s Streetlight subcommittee. Of late he has been active with Starry Skies North, a conglomerate of Dark Sky enthusiast and activists based in Duluth and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Connect with Patrick: @StarrySkiesND on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X
https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-sommer-28926b58/
Connect with The Soft Lights Foundation: https://www.softlights.org