The Great 2024 Eclipse on April 8 is a historic day as millions of people chase a shadow that will plunge those beneath it into darkness in the middle of the day. Eclipse chasing is nothing unique as it occurs yearly in every part of the world, however, eclipses bring awareness to a more crucial concern and the broader implications of how we have illuminated our world.

“After war and famine, total solar eclipse drive more people to migrate than anything else,” Marlin (a mononym), a well-known advocate for dark skies and author of ‘Astrotourism: Star Gazers, Eclipse Chasers, and the Dark Sky Movement,” the first book on the topic of a new industry, star tourism, said. “18 times more people watched the 2017 eclipse than the season finale of Game of Thrones. In our hearts we are all astro tourists.” 

Humans possess a primal fear of the dark, rooted in our ancient past when darkness hid potential danger. Despite our modern understanding and control of our environment, this fear persists. Our relentless pursuit of illumination has driven significant historical events, such as the 19th-century whaling boom fueled by the demand for lamp oil. The invention of kerosene averted the potential extinction of whales.

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The advent of electricity, symbolized by the activation of the Pearl Street Power Station on Sep. 4, 1882, ushered in a new era of illumination. In the first year there were 400 of Edison’s new electric bulbs and within two years there were 10,000. That number has increased ever since. Yet, this progress comes with a price.

Today, 80% of North Americans cannot see the Milky Way due to the overwhelming glow of artificial light.

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“Though the dark is where life is born, and the light is where we go to when we die, we fear the former and crave the latter,” Marlin said. “To such an extent we have sent the night ablaze and burned away the darkness.”  

Light pollution has become a global concern and created the fastest growing segment of the travel market, dark sky tourism. Despite humanity’s building of civilization itself with the study of the night sky, modern light pollution prevents many, particularly in developed regions, from experiencing the awe and reverence that comes with communing with the stars and cosmos.

“When we can’t see the stars we forget where we came from and where we’ll go to. We become disconnected from eternity and afraid of death,” Marlin said. “It’s our cosmic disconnect.”   

However, the ramifications of light pollution reach far beyond hindering stargazing. It disrupts ecosystems, affecting a wide range of organisms such as night pollinators, migratory birds, nocturnal animals, and marine life, along with the biosphere as a whole. Additionally, it adversely affects human health and contributes to unnecessary energy consumption and greenhouse gases.

Even the new white LED lights on automobiles are creating a blinding situation for drivers as they are burning at almost twice the recommended guidance suggested by the AMA:  

https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-adopts-guidance-reduce-harm-high-intensity-street-lights

Marlin has been instrumental in raising awareness about light pollution and its effects, especially here in the Tahoe basin. His efforts, including public speaking engagements and collaboration with organizations like the International Astronomical Union and Dark Sky International, have spurred action in communities like South Lake Tahoe to implement changes in lighting practices.

But what led Marlin to South Lake Tahoe? Starting out as a performance artist, he set off on a circuitous path that eventually transformed him into a prominent advocate and authority on light pollution.

Marlin’s showbiz journey began early, crafting his first circus-themed show at age nine. By 15, he was captivating passersby on the streets of Houston with his juggling skills. At 17, he fulfilled the dream of so many of us and really ran away with the circus, initially hired as a clown, but was fired after the third day and ended up as the elephant keeper.

Armed with newfound expertise, he set forth on a career as a professional entertainer in Houston, earning recognition and a living in street performances and nightclubs. In 1976, he attended Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey’s Clown College. He didn’t know it at the time, but he was pioneering a new genre of entertainment: the comedy juggler.  

By 21, Marlin debuted on national TV on Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert. Despite having his appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson canceled due to being bumped by a cow chip thrower, his influence inspired a young comedy duo who eventually took the same stage. Later, many other jugglers who had seen his television appearances and his performances at the International Jugglers Association meeting followed his lead. Amidst career challenges, including his manager’s declining health, Marlin persevered, becoming a top variety act and the first talking juggler on a Las Vegas main stage.

In 1986, as Halley’s Comet made its historic pass by Earth, Marlin seized the opportunity to witness this event firsthand. Determined to escape the glare of Los Angeles, he had to drive two and a half hours in order to find pristine, dark sky. Finally arriving at his destination, Marlin was greeted by a canopy of stars stretching endlessly. 

“It was the closest thing to a spiritual experience I ever had,” Marlin said. 

As he gazed up at the awe-inspiring universe above, Marlin couldn’t help but ponder: “Do people realize that the Greatest Show on Earth wasn’t on Earth at all?” It was a powerful realization that every night, this display of stars unfolds unnoticed, obscured by the artificial glow of our city lights.

Following that earth shattering revelation, Marlin made a daring choice: to leave everything behind and retreat to a treehouse he constructed in Hawaii between 1987 and 1991. “People are not prone to do such a thing. Commit professional suicide to reinvent myself,” Marlin said. 

In 1991, he emerged from his treehouse and plunged back into the world of show business, but with a twist. He started juggling with illuminated balls in total darkness, aiming to strip away the human element and leave only the glow of light, just like his experience with Halley’s Comet. 

And in 1996, from the simple act of juggling with illuminated balls emerged LUMA: Art in Darkness, a full-length theatrical production performed by Marlin, and a cast of seven people, in total darkness that has hit stages on five continents and captivated audiences in fifteen countries, reaching nearly half a billion people. Initially, Marlin’s aim was to shed light on the issue of light pollution.

However, his mission has evolved, now focusing on raising awareness about the environmental pollution generated by our excessive use of light.

“For me, LUMA was a visceral way to get this message out there. Because I believe entertainment travels far faster and is consumed more enthusiastically than any educational program,” Marlin said. 

During a five-week stint in 2017, LUMA performed at Lake Tahoe. During this period, Marlin engaged with South Lake Tahoe’s municipal authorities to discuss the implementation of new lighting solutions.

Additionally, he made an appearance on an NPR-affiliated program called Insight in Sacramento, where he shared the platform with the Director of the Dark Skies Association.

This opportunity catapulted him into an invitation to speak at the International Dark Skies Association’s Annual General Meeting in Boston. There, Marlin delivered a presentation on the role of the arts in driving social change, drawing from his experiences with LUMA.

At the conference, Marlin encountered a never-before-seen 2200 Kelvin LED light, designed to emit a warm amber glow specifically to preserve dark skies. He shared this innovative technology with a fellow Burning Man participant, who coincidentally was running for city council in South Lake Tahoe. This connection led to a fortuitous meeting with the city’s maintenance manager.

Fast forward to 2022, Marlin testified as an expert witness in front of South Lake Tahoe’s City Council, advocating for a change in the city’s lighting plan. Following this, the city began installing 2200 Kelvin LED lights, signaling the commencement of a city-wide retrofit that Marlin expects will span several years.

The benefits of these warm lights are multifaceted: they reduce costs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, enhance safety, protect nocturnal wildlife, maintain property values, and even stimulate an economy around astro-tourism. Despite common misconceptions associating darkness with crime, studies have shown the opposite to be true, with well-lit areas often proving more susceptible to criminal activity.

Research conducted in Chicago, for instance, demonstrated that illuminated areas were 21% more prone to certain types of criminal behavior. Find the complete study at https://darksky.org/app/uploads/2014/09/Chicago-Alley-Lighting-Project.pdf 

Currently, Marlin is in the process of getting two documentaries off the ground. One, titled “The Astrotourist,” explores celestial tourism, while the other, “Out of the Box,” delves into the evolution of toys, games, and play across cultures and epochs. Simultaneously, he is collaborating with Beth Malone on a New York musical named “Starstruck,” where he serves as the Dark Sky consultant. Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls is also contributing to the project. Set in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, particularly in the town of Stanley, the musical’s narrative benefits from Marlin’s expertise.

He sold dark sky friendly lighting to the town of Stanley which is located within the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve.

Looking ahead to October, Marlin will be collaborating with Finnish communities to establish Ivalo as a Dark Sky community, aiming to catalyze an astronomical economy in the region.  Because of his book, he is getting calls from all over the world.

“I never anticipated it having such a reach. The director of the Western Australia Astro Tourism Association let me know that my book has become a prime resource for her,” Marlin said. 

“More than anything I hope the takeaway for the reader is this, ‘If you are concerned about climate change, then lift a finger and flip off the light switch when you are not using it,” Marlin said. “You wouldn’t leave the water running when you leave the room, so why would you leave a light burning?”

Zoe Meyer is a reporter for the Sierra Sun, a sister publication for Tahoe Daily Tribune. She can be reached at zmeyer@sierrasun.com.