252
There was general agreement that the key to ameliorating all these problems lay in the basic general education of children and adolescents, and therefore in the sensitivity and knowledge of teachers and educators.
The final document, published in English and Spanish was a good one, but
it had been difficulty to draft it to everybody’s satisfaction. It was clear in its
ideas and splendid in its wording. It is well worth reading and can be accessed
on the internet by searching for ‘Visions and Resolutions: 10
th
Anniversary of
the Starlight Declaration’.
After an introduction on the lessons learnt in the previous decade, there
followed a call to action, with very specific analyses and recommendations
ordered by chapters:
1. Recovery of the cultural values of the starry night
2. Preservation of biodiversity and human welfare
3. Towards a new illumination culture
4. The universal value of clear and dark skies for astronomy
5. Starry skies as drivers for sustainable development
6. Appendix with technical data concerning the limits for the different
parameters
Fig. 23.1 The renowned oceanographer Commander Jacques Cousteau conversing
with the author at the meeting of experts convened by UNESCO to discuss the ‘Universal
Declaration concerning the Rights of Future Generations’ in 1994. The Declaration was
later approved by the United Nations. (Credit: IAC)
F. Sánchez
There was general agreement that the key to ameliorating all these problems lay in the basic general education of children and adolescents, and therefore in the sensitivity and knowledge of teachers and educators.
The final document, published in English and Spanish was a good one, but
it had been difficulty to draft it to everybody’s satisfaction. It was clear in its
ideas and splendid in its wording. It is well worth reading and can be accessed
on the internet by searching for ‘Visions and Resolutions: 10
th
Anniversary of
the Starlight Declaration’.
After an introduction on the lessons learnt in the previous decade, there
followed a call to action, with very specific analyses and recommendations
ordered by chapters:
1. Recovery of the cultural values of the starry night
2. Preservation of biodiversity and human welfare
3. Towards a new illumination culture
4. The universal value of clear and dark skies for astronomy
5. Starry skies as drivers for sustainable development
6. Appendix with technical data concerning the limits for the different
parameters
Fig. 23.1 The renowned oceanographer Commander Jacques Cousteau conversing
with the author at the meeting of experts convened by UNESCO to discuss the ‘Universal
Declaration concerning the Rights of Future Generations’ in 1994. The Declaration was
later approved by the United Nations. (Credit: IAC)
F. Sánchez