"Dark Sky Consultant"

From the FT:

The International Dark Skies Association, which has designated 16 areas in North America and Europe, will on Thursday unveil proposals to focus on some of England’s darkest skies as it creates a reserve in the Kielder area of Northumberland. The association reports increased interest from locations wanting dark sky designation to help reduce light pollution and encourage public awareness and tourism.

“We’re now becoming inundated with applications,” says Steve Owens, a Glasgow-based dark sky consultant who is chairman of the IDA’s development committee. “In the UK, astronomy tourism has become mainstream. It’s just caught the imagination,” he adds.

Light pollution means that more than 85 per cent of the UK’s population has never seen a truly dark sky. In fact, fewer people than ever can hope to step outside their front door at night and see the Milky Way. Kielder Water and Forest Park Development Trust and Northumberland National Park Authority will propose covering nearly 400 square miles of wild countryside. According to the Campaign to Protect Rural England, Northumberland has more dark skies than anywhere else in England.

Sounds like my kind of job! I also note that there are at least four organisations in on the act here, so plenty of jobs for my mates doing a bit of inter-agency co-ordination.

As to the 85% of the UK population, well duh, 85% of people live on the 5% of land that is towns and suburbs, which are lit up at night, the statistic is meaningless.