15 replies to this topic

[Starlady]

Go here:

https://chat.openai.com/chat

Sign up. (Free)

Ask Chat GPT for a template to write to a politician about light pollution. You can even ask for specifics. 

C'mon, it's fun. The examples ChatGPT gives are all unique, not copied from anywhere, original. It takes about two seconds. We can even use the same prompt and get different results. Check for errors before sending your email. If you don't like the letter, keep hitting the "Regenerate response" button until you find one you like.

 

Example of my prompt and the response:

 

Me > How do I write a letter to the editor of the NYT about light pollution? Can you write it for me?

 

ChatGPT > Sure! Here's a sample letter to the editor of the New York Times about light pollution that you can use as a guide:

 

Dear Editor,

As an avid stargazer, I was disappointed to learn that light pollution is a growing problem in many urban areas around the world. Not only does it hinder our ability to see the stars, but it can also have a negative impact on wildlife, our sleep patterns, and the environment.

 

It's time for policymakers to take action to reduce light pollution. We need smarter streetlights, more efficient lighting systems, and education for the public on how to reduce light pollution. 

 

I urge the city to take a proactive approach to reducing light pollution. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to preserve the night sky and protect the environment.

 

Sincerely,

 

[Your name]

 

and another--

 

My prompt> Can you give me the template of a letter to my congressional representative about curbing light pollution and why light pollution is bad for the nation?

 

ChatGPT: Sure! Here's a template letter that you can use to write to your congressional representative about curbing light pollution:

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Date]

[Congressional Representative's Name]
[Congressional Representative's Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]

Dear [Congressional Representative's Name],

I am writing to urge you to support efforts to curb light pollution in our nation. As your constituent and a concerned citizen, I believe that we have a responsibility to protect our environment and preserve our natural resources for future generations.

Light pollution, caused by excessive and misdirected artificial light, has a number of negative impacts on our environment, our health, and our economy. It disrupts natural habitats, interferes with wildlife behaviors, affects human sleep patterns, and wastes energy and money. Additionally, it obscures our view of the stars, a cultural and scientific heritage that has inspired humans for centuries.

As a nation, we can take concrete steps to reduce light pollution and its impacts. This can include encouraging the adoption of dark sky-friendly lighting practices, supporting research on the effects of light pollution, and implementing regulations to reduce light pollution in sensitive areas such as national parks and wildlife reserves.

I urge you to take action to curb light pollution and protect our environment and health. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

--

 

 

Your turn!

[CltFlyboy]

Wow! Tha's actually pretty cool, thanks for sharing.

[Chris K]

This is a nice idea. I've been dabbling with ChatGPT as it's already invading our workspace.

[mak17]

You have to frame it as an economic issue first. I think next you have to try to demonstrate that safety is not compromised by turning off lights or by making properly shielded lights. Negative impacts to human and wild life health should be highlighted next. Carbon emissions and the climate crisis next. Stargazing last.

[Jaimo!]

AI scares me.

[FutureMan]

That's incredible, and very useful. I am working to lower light pollution in my city with the local schools and clubs, and even in Tucson, were there is a light ordinance and code against light trespass etc... people completely disregard it. So I am signing up for an account now and will give this a try, thanks!

[bigbangbaby]

Can't you just craft your own letter?

[Starlady]

Can't you just craft your own letter?

Of course, all of us here can craft our own letters. This was meant more for the people who can't, but are still interested in mitigating light pollution in their areas. These letters would need to be edited and customized before they're sent. It's a fun jumpstart.

 

I've been trying to figure out how to use AI as a tool to help us in our fight against light pollution. It can write programs, so maybe ask for a program to let anyone have the right dark sky ordinances for their size town with input variables like budget, accessibility of 2200K streetlights, topology, average air pollution index? (Spitballing here.)

 

Or maybe ask for catchy sayings or slogans for posters and media posts?

 

Perhaps it can identify key local decision makers that we should be talking to. 

 

Can it pull together, synthesize, analyze disparate medical findings?

 

Can it generate predictions in specific instances, like with waning firefly populations?

 

The people who learn how to write prompts and use this tool (and GPT4 on the horizon) will do well into the future. It's worth giving some thought to. I don't have many answers, just oodles of questions. Someone could write and sell a magazine article about this aspect, like, "How to Use ChatGPT to Halt Light Pollution." 9 cents a word, 4000 words -- go! 

https://www.analogsf...rs-guidelines/ 

[Starlady]

You have to frame it as an economic issue first. I think next you have to try to demonstrate that safety is not compromised by turning off lights or by making properly shielded lights. Negative impacts to human and wild life health should be highlighted next. Carbon emissions and the climate crisis next. Stargazing last.

Exactly.

Prompt: Give me a template of a letter to a politician about limiting light pollution and try to demonstrate that safety is not compromised by turning off lights or by making properly shielded lights. Negative impacts to human and wild life health should be highlighted next. Carbon emissions and the climate crisis next. Stargazing last.

 

----------------

GPT: (this is the first response and it is light on economic benefits, imo.)

 

Dear [Politician's Name],

I am writing to express my concern about the growing problem of light pollution in our community. While artificial lighting has undoubtedly brought about many benefits, it has also resulted in significant negative impacts on both human and wildlife health, as well as contributing to the climate crisis. As a member of your constituency, I would like to urge you to take action to limit light pollution and promote responsible outdoor lighting practices.

 

I believe that safety should always be a top priority, but this does not have to come at the expense of light pollution. In fact, properly shielded lights can actually improve safety by reducing glare and improving visibility. Studies have shown that excessive lighting can actually create more shadows and make it harder to see potential hazards. Therefore, we need to promote the use of properly shielded lights in our community to enhance safety while also reducing light pollution.

 

Another major concern related to light pollution is its negative impact on human and wildlife health. Exposure to artificial light at night has been linked to a range of health issues, including disrupted sleep patterns, increased risk of obesity, and even certain types of cancer. Additionally, it can also disrupt the natural behavior and migration patterns of wildlife, leading to negative impacts on their overall well-being. By limiting light pollution and promoting responsible outdoor lighting practices, we can help mitigate these negative impacts and create a healthier environment for all.

 

Furthermore, it is important to consider the impact of light pollution on the climate crisis. Artificial lighting is a significant source of carbon emissions, with outdoor lighting alone accounting for a significant portion of the energy used by many cities. By promoting the use of energy-efficient lighting and limiting unnecessary outdoor lighting, we can help reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to the fight against climate change.

 

Lastly, I would like to highlight the importance of preserving our natural night skies for future generations. Stargazing is an important part of our cultural heritage and provides an opportunity for people to connect with the natural world. However, light pollution makes it increasingly difficult to see the stars and can diminish this experience. By limiting light pollution and promoting responsible outdoor lighting practices, we can help preserve this important cultural and natural resource for generations to come.

 

In conclusion, I urge you to take action to limit light pollution and promote responsible outdoor lighting practices in our community. By doing so, we can improve safety, protect human and wildlife health, reduce our carbon footprint, and preserve our natural night skies for future generations.

 

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

---------

Also I don't like this sentence: "Artificial lighting is a significant source of carbon emissions" -- people could take that the wrong way. You just keep hitting regenerate until you get one you like or edit the best one until it's good enough. 

[csrlice12]

Maybe get the Chat computer to talk directly with the city streetlight controlling computer and cut out man completely.  Remember, computers don't need lights except for one red led that dims out when it dies.

[PEterW]

I’d be careful about ChatGPT, always sanity check and don’t accept anything it says. The wife was looking for “inspiration” when writing a paper recently and asked ChatGPT for some references to help in a section… ChatGPT listed some, even provided full reference and weblinks for them too…. Except they were all completely made up and false…. Beware! However was if you want to break writers block it can be very handy.

Peter

[Bankeny]

I'm a little late to the party but wanted to thank you for posting this. I live in PA and recently discovered that a bill (HB1803) aimed at addressing light pollution was recently "Laid on the table" in April off 2024.  (source:https://fastdemocrac...ls/PAB00030476/). There is directly on this page that opens up a form to automatically send a letter directly to our current legislators. It's super easy (takes about 5 mins). I urge anyone in PA to take a few minutes to send one out.

 

I used a modified version of what was previously posted above:

 

"I am writing to urge you to support efforts to curb light pollution in our nation. As your constituent and a concerned citizen, I believe that we have a responsibility to protect our environment and preserve our natural resources for future generations. One such effort to address this growing issue is HB1803. Information on this bill indicates that it was "Laid on the table" in April of 2024. I urge you to take this bill seriously as the impacts from light pollution on peoples everyday lives and mental health are far reaching.

Light pollution, caused by excessive and misdirected artificial light, has a number of negative impacts on our environment, our health, our mood and our economy. It disrupts natural habitats, interferes with wildlife behaviors, affects human sleep patterns, and wastes energy and money. Additionally, it obscures our view of the stars, a cultural and scientific heritage that has inspired humans for centuries. As a child, I grew up in a rural area and enjoyed spending hours outside just staring up at the night sky filled with twinkling stars against a silky black background that created a breathtaking panorama. As the decades have passed, I have noticed a dramatic change in darkness of our night sky due to a massive increase of artificial lighting usage and abuse. The silky black background of our night sky has turned to a dull grey and most of those twinkling stars I so enjoyed as a child are no longer visible due to being crowded out by light pollution. A 2023 study in Science magazine found that the number of stars visible in the night sky decreased by 7-10% per year from 2011 to 2022. Doing nothing is not an acceptable option at this point. Bills such as HB1803 may seem unimportant, but their positive impacts on communities add up.

As a nation, we can take concrete steps to reduce light pollution and its impacts. This can include encouraging the adoption of dark sky-friendly lighting practices, supporting research on the effects of light pollution, and implementing regulations to reduce light pollution in sensitive areas such as national parks and wildlife reserves.

I urge you to take action to curb light pollution and protect our environment and health and bring HB1803 back into the light. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
**More information on light pollution can be found at http://url2815.fastd...k-2BAKfqQ-3D-3D

Sincerely,"

[havasman]

ChatGPT cannot make the recipient give a d***. In this case that should be obvious.

 

Besides, I can still write my own letters. I have a good friend who uses ChatGPT, early adopter, and loves what it has done for him. But he has never read for pleasure so his written language skills suck and his reading comprehension and retention are laughable. So I know it can be helpful but I just don't need it.

[Ron359]

I agree with previous post, this doesn't need Chat GPT,  as 'politicians' know mass-produced letters and still have ( I hope?) a greater appreciation for letters and emails actually written by a person.  Many groups send 'suggested' letters to their members and let them rewrite or change it to their own 'language.'    But people can do what they want and use Chat GPT if it helps them.  

 

In addition to individuals writing letters,  put this letter in an on-line  petition website which could be 'signed' by any and all members of CNs as well as the 'public',  professionals,  astronomy clubs members and non-members across the U.S. or even world wide.  I would also advocate for strict regulations or out right ban, of of mega-constellation satellites as they are now the 2nd largest 'threat' coming soon, if not today,  to the conduct of science of astronomy or just observing the night sky free from their LP.  

 

It has long been said  that if reading and writing were to be banned or otherwise cease to exist, "civilization" is just one generation away from going back to the stone-age.

 

But advocacy begins at home.   I've learned from reading many (sad) comments on this forum that many would readily trade away thousands of years of night sky observing,  that are the  world-wide basis  for ancient and modern cultures, myths and religions, as well as most of today's science for faster brighter internet from mega-constellation service.  If you 'can't read the  night sky and tell and repeat the stories all of our ancestors did,  just to watch cat-videos, you have contributed to the destruction of  10,000 years of human existence.  You can read about them on a screen, but seeing them with your eyes is a whole different experience.  Thats called "reality."  

 

And guess what, boys and girls?  If all the LP generators on the Earth were finally turned off, and 0 LP,  and we had a 'pristine' Bortle 1 night sky again all over globe,  we'd see 7,000 or so, stars with our eyes to 7th magnitude.  It would be magnificent!

   But,  then,  oh, wait, there's more!  You'd see 10 times the stars of 60K or 100,000 artificial moving lights in the sky too if all the 'mega-constellations' with a darkest 'level of 7th mag. most brighter, are up there too in LEO.  ;  (((   

 

Breaking News:  Life and culture;  Its not all about the latest Marvel movie mythical super-hero.   

 

p.s. more Breaking News:  As of Nov. 5th the cause  of controlling or reducing LP from all American sources, aimed at effectiveness of letter writing to pols in charge, went from climbing Denali, to climbing Everest, with one leg, one arm, no ropes,  and no oxygen.  

 

The next 4 years will be the most anti-regulation -  pro turn up the bright lights 1000 times,  pollute all you like, rulers since the days of robber barons and and the Gilded age.    Not to mention a huge donor of 'their cause' is also the one launching 30K moving bright lights into the night sky over the next four years at least and will be empowered to set the rules and get as much profit as he can.   Those are just facts, no political opinion or spin.  

Edited by Ron359, 10 November 2024 - 10:51 PM.

[jgraham]

Ugh. I find text generated by AI to be boring and easy to detect. It tends to be rambling with run-on sentences using perfect spelling, syntax, and grammar. Kinda like listening to a BS artist that weaves a pretty good tale about something they know nothing about. I much prefer letters written with ai... actual intelligence.

[Jhunt]

Ilk give it a try. Worst thing they can do is say no