light pollution

[deepvisual]

It looks like the uk is set to become the first country in the world to outlaw light pollution.
this could have serious implications for outdoor projectionists as up to now the laws against projection were vague and non specific.
Given the British police's long history of the 'creative' use of the law - ie anti terrorist legislation being used to arrest people wearing anti war T-shirts- and so on, this could lead to problems for all people using light outdoors.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article337256.ece

[robotfunk]

stop bragging about your beamer

[ocam]

you might as well worry about the pollution from yr generator if you think light pollution laws would apply to a beamer at an outdoor gig.
you need massive amounts of light, from say metropolises, to block out the night sky.
Or they might go after commercial or state property, say railroad or utility areas, where high powered lights invade into the windows of the inhabitants of a sparse area.
i wouldnt be worried about some wanker who happens to come across an outdoor gig and then decides to go after you for light pollution, when he could walk a hundred meters away and not be effected by the beamer at all.
But yes, a healthy sense of a paranoia is always good.
I just wish i had a beamer that could piss people off...

[deepvisual]

well, I only mentioned it because the exact words of the police man who stopped me from projecting outdoors in London in 1998 were " under the prevention of terrorism act, this is a secured area and I am arresting you"
now that law was brought in to prevent the IRA from planting truck bombs in London.
if you can get nicked as a terrorist for operating a slide projector in the street, I should think it would be even easier to be nicked for actually breaking the law regardless of if the law is stupid or not.

these cases never get to court but it gives the police the power to stop anything they don't approve of. Projection has become a powerful means of dissent in the UK. size isn't so important. A 3m wide image of murdered activist Ken Saro Wiwa on the nigerian embassy cause an uproar. There are frequent projection stunts in the UK by greenpeace, amnesty international and many other pressure groups.
but not for much longer.