WEBVTT - What's the First Nation with Totally Dark Skies?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff production of iHeart Radio, Hey brain Stuff

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren Bogelbaum. Here, tucked far away from any cities, the

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<v Speaker 1>tiny island of Niue is blissfully free of the light

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<v Speaker 1>pollution that plagues metro areas around the world. Nieue skies

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<v Speaker 1>are so dark, in fact, that the entire country has

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<v Speaker 1>been named an International Dark Sky Place. That designation comes

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<v Speaker 1>courtesy of the International Dark Sky Association, a US based

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<v Speaker 1>nonprofit organization with the mission of preserving dark skies and

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<v Speaker 1>cutting down on light pollution. There are about a hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and thirty certified dark sky parks, preserves, and communities around

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<v Speaker 1>the world, from Death Valley National Park to the Nimidbrand

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<v Speaker 1>Nature Reserve in Namibia to the town of Flagstaff, Arizona.

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<v Speaker 1>But Niue is the first and so far only entire

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<v Speaker 1>nation to receive this prized seal of approval from the Association.

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<v Speaker 1>The recognition has made a celebrity of the one hundred

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<v Speaker 1>square mile island that's about two hundred and six the

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<v Speaker 1>square kilometers with a population of one thousand, six hundred,

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<v Speaker 1>which is located roughly fifteen hundred miles or kilometers from

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<v Speaker 1>New Zealand in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean.

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<v Speaker 1>Niue is a self governing state, but it maintains a

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<v Speaker 1>free association with New Zealand, which represents its tiny neighbor

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<v Speaker 1>in many international affairs. Sheer remoteness alone contributes heavily to

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<v Speaker 1>the island's dark environment, but according to the International Dark

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<v Speaker 1>Sky Association's requirements, the villages commit to using artificial lighting

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<v Speaker 1>that leaves the night sky unspoiled, unveiling the Milky Way,

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<v Speaker 1>the Andromeda constellation, and other brilliant starry objects in their

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<v Speaker 1>full glory. That meant retrofitting or replacing street lights and

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<v Speaker 1>lights in private residences and businesses. Culturally, the dark Sky

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<v Speaker 1>designation will help protect part of the island's heritage. For centuries,

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<v Speaker 1>it's people have used the stars and lunar cycles for

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<v Speaker 1>navigation on the seas. Niue is also home to a

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<v Speaker 1>marine reserve and a forest conservation area, and the designation

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<v Speaker 1>is more than symbolic. Although travel is limited at the

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<v Speaker 1>time of this recording, headlines about the tiny country's accomplishment

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<v Speaker 1>will likely boost future astrotaurism, as astronomers and nature lovers

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<v Speaker 1>from around the world venture to the island to take

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<v Speaker 1>guided tours of the best views of the pin pricked

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<v Speaker 1>Tari black skies above. Thanks to its location, you can

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<v Speaker 1>usually see the main southern dark sky objects like the

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<v Speaker 1>Southern Cross, the large and small Magellanic clouds, and Omega centauri,

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<v Speaker 1>as well as mid latitude constellations like Orion, Taurists, Gemini,

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<v Speaker 1>and Cancer. And dark skies don't just make stars more

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<v Speaker 1>visible at night, they also cut down on disruptions to

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<v Speaker 1>wildlife and the ecosystem caused by light pollution. Some communities

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<v Speaker 1>worry that altering street lights makes cities more vulnerable to crime,

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<v Speaker 1>but multiple studies have failed to prove conclusively that enhanced

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<v Speaker 1>street lighting deters crime, and in some cases, researchers found

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<v Speaker 1>that bright lights actually made crime worse. Today's episode was

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<v Speaker 1>written by Nathan Chandler and produced by Tyler Clang. For

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<v Speaker 1>more in this and lots of other bright topics, is

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<v Speaker 1>it how stuff works dot com. Brain Stuff is production

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<v Speaker 1>of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio,

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<v Speaker 1>visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

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<v Speaker 1>you listen to your favorite shows.