Last Update: March 29, 2009

Members of the Ad Hoc Review Committee

The FixTheMLO group and this web site were formed in 2004 in response to the International Dark-Sky Association's release of the first public draft of their proposed Model Lighting Ordinance (MLO). A group of us realized that the MLO, as drafted then and as it exists now in 2009, would not serve its intended purposes if it were promulgated and implemented in its current form. We therefore formed this committee, whose principal interest is "to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies," to identify any deficiencies and oversights of the draft.

The Ad Hoc Review Committee is a group with diverse backgrounds, whose members represent, cumulatively, decades of experience working on dark-sky legislation. After six weeks of investigation and discussion, the Committee has made public its findings and has initiated a petition. If you are concerned with the beauty of the night, with energy conservation to sustain our planet, with improved nighttime safety, and with protection of the nocturnal environment as it affects the ecology and biorhythms of wildlife and humans, we hope you will submit comments on this draft MLO and sign our petition.

The 2009 Ad Hoc Review Committee members are (listed alphabetically):

Gail Clyma
New York. Member IDA, 1995-present. Member IES, 2004-present. Member of the Board of SELENE (IDA Affiliate) and of the original (2002) MLO Working Group. Liaison to sponsors of light pollution legislation for New York State and the Town of Southampton.
Patric Johnstone
Oklahoma. Photojournalist, neighborhood advocate, and outdoor lighting reform proponent.
Christian B. Luginbuhl
Arizona. Member IDA, 1989-present; Director, 2005-2007. Member IES, 1999-present. Astronomer, U.S. Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, 1981-present. Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition Co-Chair, 1999-present. Editor and principal author, IDA Outdoor Lighting Code Handbook (2000). Contributing author of many lighting codes, including Coconino County, AZ (1989); Flagstaff, AZ (1989); Cottonwood, AZ (1999); Sedona, AZ (2001).
John McMahon
New York. Member of the Board of SELENE (IDA Affiliate). Board of Directors, Syracuse Astronomical Society. Zoning Board of Appeals, Town of Tully, NY. Co-author of Town of Tully Outdoor Lighting Ordinance (Local Law 7, 2007). Practicing amateur astronomer since 1956. Professor of Classics, Le Moyne College.
Debra Norvil
Illinois. Member, IDA. Co-author of the Village of Homer Glen Outdoor Lighting Ordinance.
Tim Poulsen
New York. Member of the Board of SELENE (IDA Affiliate). Former Editor, IDA Newsletter.
Julie Schaar
Texas. IDA member and founder, Texas IDA (IDA Section). Sierra Club, Dallas LoneStar Chapter, conservation committee. Texas Astronomical Association of Dallas, Light Pollution Reduction effort. Chair of Steering Committee for EarthHourUS/KeyCities/Dallas 2009.
Peter Talmage, P.E.
Massachusetts. Member of IDA and of NELPAG (IDA Affiliate). Co-author of Kennebunkport and State of Maine outdoor lighting ordinances. Co-author of the NELPAG handbook, "Good Neighbor Lighting." Designer and manufacturer of full-cutoff radial wave lighting fixtures and a long-time advocate of sensible outdoor lighting that protects everyone's privacy.
David Toeppen
Illinois. IDA Illinois Section Leader at Large. Built 8" reflector in 1944 from pipe fittings, wood, sheet metal, and other stuff. Had to hang cardboard sheet on nearby street light to use. Now, still chasing bad lighting for many very important reasons.

The opinions expressed in this document were developed through discussion among participating members of the Committee. As with most such consensus documents, not all participants hold exactly the same position on each point. By listing their names above, the signers indicate general agreement with the Committee's findings.

Important Links

Click here to read the Committee’s conclusions.

The petition is closed to new signatures. Thank you to those who signed! The petition and signers' names have been submitted to the IDA. You can still read the petition and see the names of the 190 signatories the petition received.