The Importance of Advocacy For Everyone
This blog post was submitted by Jon Wong, a dark sky advocate from Pomona.
Getting people to believe in something is only possible by informing them of such. Seems simple, yet many people won’t. The best way to spread a message is by telling them face to face. A study done by the Harvard Business Review found that a face-to-face request is 34 times more successful than an email.
Over %80 percent of the global population lives under light-polluted skies, yet only 45 percent of people know what light pollution actually is. That is why advocacy is so important. In hopes of inspiring someone to do the same, I want to share some personal stories of my recent advocacy endeavors.
On August 22nd, 2026, I attended the Star Party at Griffith Observatory. This public event is held monthly and attracts star-lovers from around the world. I met and spoke with tourists from Korea and France, explaining why there are relatively few visible stars in the sky. Most did not know why. Even locals who live in LA County didn’t know why we saw so few stars. As I explained the sky glare and the harms of extremely irresponsible lighting practices in Downtown LA, I could see the curiosity sparkling in their eyes. Learning about the causes and effects of light pollution is the first step someone may take to begin actual change. One more person who simply turns off unneeded lights is another small step to taking back our skies.
The night sky is one of the most intriguing topics for children. They are naturally curious about our skies. That is why teaching them to protect the sky is so important. Recently, I visited Kiddie Academy, a local childcare center for 3-to 5-year-olds. Believe it or not, kids already knew about constellations! We did a project creating our own constellations, learning to appreciate the stars and the stories they tell. It was such an eye-opening experience for me as I realized how much the skies mean to children. That is precisely why we need to teach them how to cherish and protect it. Why are some constellations not visible? Why are there more stars when I go to a city far away? Kids deserve and should know the answers to these questions, and more importantly, be inspired to protect our sky at an early age.
