[GA - passed] Reducing Light Pollution

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Reducing Light Pollution
Category: Environmental | Area of Effect: All Businesses - Mild
Proposed by: Simone Republic | Onsite Topic


The World Assembly (WA),

Noting that, for some WA states, light pollution harms their environments such as wildlife habitats (say migrating songbirds, fireflies and animals requiring darkness), aquatic ecosystems (sayalgae brooms) and the opportunity to observe the night sky for astronomers, as well as impacting the health of some sapient species such as interrupting their sleep patterns and confusing their circadian rhythms;

Further noting that in some cases light pollution is also resulting from excess lighting which in turn creates unnecessary energy use, which may be detrimental to the welfare of some WA states;

Acknowledging that, for WA states sharing a common border or in proximity to each other, the requirements for lighting can significantly differ, such as differences in sapient species inhabiting the relevant WA state(s), and land use (such as a wildlife reserve in one state bordering a bustling city in another state), and for differing needs to potentially come into conflict due to the ability of light pollution to creep across national boundaries via sky glow, the rusty orange haze cast by the massed lights over a wide area through the atmosphere in some WA states;

Desiring a common approach that resolves such issues through the WA in a coherent manner; hereby
  1. Defines:
    1. IAO to mean the Independent Adjudicative Office of the WA;
    2. WASP to mean the Scientific Programme of the WA;

  2. Requires WA states to, subject to their levels of technology sophistication, take reasonable steps in good faith to reduce light pollution without compromising on the health and safety of its own inhabitants through (merely as examples) the following means:
    1. Adopt energy-saving lighting equipment, such as lower-energy use light bulbs, dimmers and automatic switch-off lights;

    2. Proactively reduce outdoor lighting pointing skywards, such as street lighting with downward directions, motion detectors, low energy electronic billboards and low-pressure sodium lamps;

    3. Adopt land use measures to protect the habitat of species that require darkness, such as light shields and darkness reserves in national parks;

  3. Permits a WA state to require the assistance of WASP in implementing measures to reduce light pollution, with all reasonable costs incurred by WASP fully indemnified by the said state;

  4. Permits, if a WA state ("requesting state") shares a border with, or is in close proximity to, another WA state ("responding state"), to expressly raise a request for the responding state to reduce light pollution in areas near shared borders or other areas where the two states are close to each other, subject to the following conditions:
    1. The requesting state is to fully indemnify the responding state for all reasonable costs incurred to reduce light pollution;

    2. Either state may request the assistance of WASP in implementing measures to reduce light pollution, with all reasonable costs incurred by WASP fully indemnified by the requesting state;

    3. The responding state is permitted to reject or negotiate on the implementation of such a request if it reasonably believes that such reductions in light pollution (or lighting use in general) will harm the health and wellbeing of its own inhabitants, subject to appeals by either state to the IAO;

  5. Clarifies that the IAO shall have the final authority on interpreting this resolution and on adjudicating any disputes regarding clause 4.
Note: Only votes from TNP WA nations, NPA personnel, and those on NPA deployments will be counted. If you do not meet these requirements, please add (non-WA) or something of that effect to your vote. If you are on an NPA deployment without being formally registered as an NPA member, name your deployed nation in your vote.
Voting Instructions:
  • Vote For if you want the Delegate to vote For the resolution.
  • Vote Against if you want the Delegate to vote Against the resolution.
  • Vote Abstain if you want the Delegate to abstain from voting on this resolution.
  • Vote Present if you are personally abstaining from this vote.
Detailed opinions with your vote are appreciated and encouraged!


ForAgainstAbstainPresent
14001
 
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Overview

This is a very modest resolution originally designed to cover for the points raised in "Star Gazing Day" with regards to light pollution, expanded to also allow for a WA-based solution in case of disputes between WA states over lighting levels near their national borders, due to lighting creeping over the atmosphere.

Recommendation

We believe light pollution is an issue that is neglected in the WA (as much as it also is neglected in real life) and therefore support the resolution. We believe the preservation of wildlife that require a dark environment such as cats, owls, and rodents and humans needing darkness to sleep (as well as to switch off their mobile phones) is an overlooked issue.

For the above reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote For the General Assembly resolution at vote, "Reducing Light Pollution".
 
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For as author. It's a pretty mild resolution as mentioned on the forums. Roughly it's "be nice and please switch off your lights, and please be reasonable about it, or worst comes to worst we'd go to IAO", it's probably the mildest resolution I've written to date.
 
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This is a very mild proposal, but it is precisely the sort of mild suggestion typical of real-world intergovernmental organisations. I am in favour of this proposal.
 
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