[ScholarWarrior]

But it makes such a good indicator of civilization.

Ever seen the night picture of the world from space?
The U.S., Europe, and Japan are reasonably well lit.
The rest of the world is in the dark. And is likely to stay that way.

[RightWhale]

A couple of the brightest lights are oilfield flares. You want dark, go to the middle of Africa or N Kor. Maybe dark isn't first on the list of things to have. OTOH, all the light going into space from civilized areas is light wasted, which is money wasted. It might be just 1 or 2% of our budget, not the big item, but it could be improved. A little pay boost for everybody.