Did you know that outdoor lighting that emits too much light or shines when and where it’s not needed wastes energy, cost billions of dollars and increases carbon emissions?

Did you know that artificial light at night has been cited as a factor in health concerns ranging from poor sleep to some cancers?

Did you know that excessive outdoor lighting at night has negative and deadly effects on our natural environment, affecting many creatures including your family pets, amphibians, birds, mammals, beneficial insects, and plants?

Did you know that bright or unshielded lights actually decrease your safety by producing darker dark areas where dangers can hide in plain sight?

Did you know that bright outdoor lighting makes driving at night difficult and much more dangerous – especially for the elderly?

Did you know that generations are growing up without ever seeing the night skies many of us remember seeing in our childhood?

What if we could fix this?

What if our towns were known not only for our coastline and nature trails and shops and restaurants, but also for our beautiful night-time skies?

The DUCC Creation Justice Team invites you to read and discuss the gorgeously written and critically acclaimed The End of Night by Paul Bogard. The book is available in print and electronic form from The Saugatuck-Douglas District Library.  If all copies are checked-out, request a copy through the library’s inter-loan network. The book is also available as an audiobook, narrated by the author. It is also available from your favorite booksellers in stores or online.

On November 2, at 6:30 pm, we will gather at the DUCC Friendship Hall, 56 Wall Street, to discuss the book and explore local and national efforts to reduce excessive, damaging and dangerous lighting in our community. This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited, so please sign up to help us with our planning.

Following CDC recommendations, facemasks are requested for all participants while indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

For more information on the need for responsible outdoor light, visit the International Dark-Sky Association at www.darksky.org.

To register for this free event, click here: https://bit.ly/TheEndOfNight.