I've just found out about this 😮 😡 . It is not Australian in origin but it could affect us here, our skies, our health, our natural ecosystems. These tech companies think they can do whatever they like and with the US govt being what it is they could get away with this proposal.

A private California-based startup is proposing a... future... in which thousands of in-space mirrors mounted on satellites direct light down to targeted areas on Earth, threatening natural darkness. The company describes this concept as “sunlight on demand,” an idea that would fundamentally alter the nighttime environment as we know it...

Artificial light from orbital illumination would introduce a powerful new stressor to nocturnal ecosystems. Research shows that even low levels of artificial light at night disrupt essential behaviors such as navigation, migration, feeding, and reproduction across hundreds of species. These disruptions can destabilize food webs and accelerate biodiversity loss.

In humans, exposure to artificial light at night disrupts circadian rhythms that regulate sleep, metabolic processes, and hormonal cycles. Research links circadian disruption to a growing number of health concerns. Reflected orbital illumination viewed through optical devices may also pose a risk of eye damage, similar to observing a partial solar eclipse.

These are just some of the threats to consider. Please read the short article and if you oppose the proposal please sign the open letter to say so

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[–] 3 points 8 months ago

Please, just reflect the light away from earth instead of towards it.

Australia is particularly vulnerable to the summer sun, because the earth's perihelion (January) is in Australian summer and American winter. The earth has a slightly lopsided orbit so the earth is about 5% closer to the sun in January than it is in July.

Americans and Europeans get a brighter sun in winter and dimmer in summer. Australians get the opposite.

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