Imagine a cloudless night. If you look up, can you see the glorious band of our Milky Way Galaxy stretching from horizon to horizon? If you live in a city, probably not. Hackworth Grant-recipient and assistant professor of philosophy Kimberly Dill is hoping her research on dark sky conservation can inspire change.
In talking about conservation, light isn’t often seen as a pollutant. But it has a huge impact on both the environment and humans—including pollination, migration, mental health, and even cancer rates.
“The human and more-than-human worlds are entangled in these very rich and deep ways,” Dill says. “I see my work as making those connections a lot more explicit.”
With her Markkula Center grant, Dill will visit three international dark sites to investigate how dark sky conservation policy tensions might be resolved: Alqueva, Portugal; Galloway Forest Park, Scotland; and Bryce Canyon National Park, U.S.
Through this research, Dill hopes to highlight a Jain philosophical value called anekantavada, meaning ‘many-sidedness.’ “If you want to get a complete picture of a complex issue, learn as much as you can about as many diverse worldviews as you can,” she explains. “Then, see where they overlap and articulate your theories there.”