Join NOVAC as we welcome Tom Reinert, President of the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). Tom will walk us through the current state of affairs at the IDA as well as provide the very latest insights on the challenges we all face in preserving our dark skies for generations to come.
This NOVAC meeting will be held both in-person at George Mason University as well as live-streamed via Google Meet. Tom will be in-person at GMU for the talk. Here is information for both ways to connect.
In Person Option:
Meet at George Mason University, Exploratory Hall, Room 3301. Check GMU web site for nearby parking options. Some lots or garages do charge for parking. Room will be open as early as 6:45pm.
https://info.gmu.edu/campus-maps-and-directions/
Virtual Option: Join using Google Meet
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/osh-bcyd-gti
Or dial: (US) +1 484-430-1468 PIN: 486 839 001#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/osh-bcyd-gti?pin=1354183604637
Presentation Details:
Abstract:
Tom’s presentation will be a report to the amateur astronomy community on the current status of IDA and the fight against growing light pollution, focusing on increasing awareness of light pollution, changes in the organization now known as DarkSky International, and how amateur astronomers can make a difference in reducing light pollution in the years ahead.
Biography:
Tom Reinert is a retired Washington, D.C. lawyer who spent most of his career representing airlines and railroads in labor and employment matters, including extensive experience translating scientific experts for lay decision-makers. He has assisted the International Dark-Sky Association on policy and legal issues for almost a decade, inspired by seeing the Andromeda Galaxy with his naked eyes from atop Kitt Peak. His prior environmental activism includes a decade fighting water pollution with a local riverkeeper organization, the South River Federation, on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Currently residing in the City of Fairfax, Virginia, he is an active member of NOVAC. He and his wife Chris travel extensively in the Western United States seeking dark sky locations, and he is a member of the Tucson Astronomical Association. He is a graduate of Harvard College (where he never took an astronomy or physics course) and the Harvard Law School (where he never took an environmental law course).
