Credit : Jeff Hapeman
Have you seen this lately?
Keep the Sky DARK at Night
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0609/aurora_hapeman_big
Dark Sky Organization – IDA
Images are credited to International Dark Sky Association unless otherwise noted.
Approximately 70% of the world’s population
cannot see the Milky Way; many have never seen it.
Photo Credit:
William Keel,
University of
Alabama
Light Pollution:
Wasted artificial exterior light going to sky glow, glare, and
light
trespass.
Jupiter
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/hb_keel2_lines.gif
Elements of Light Pollution
Light pollution travels about 200
miles and impacts birds, bats and
other animals as well as humans.
The Washington Post reported a connection between light pollution and breast cancer
in its Feb. 20 news story “Lights at Night Are Linked to Breast and Colon Cancer;
Study Bolsters Theory About Interference With Production of Key Hormone.”
Sky glow – wasted, misdirected light
shining up in the night sky. Light clutter
can affect aviation.
NSN 5
Sky Glow
Lots of light scattering off particles in the air giving
the appearance of a glowing sky. See any stars?
Light Pollution = wasted
energy and money. Light
that goes upward does
not help us see better at
night on Earth’s surface.
NSN 6
Glare
Too much background light – can you see the stop sign
in the foreground? Can you even read the sign below it?
Do you think older drivers can see the stop sign in the glare?
Glare-
Light shining into
eyes rather than on
objects of interest.
Street Lights – and Glare
Full cut off light
(FCO)
Sag light
Same
In illumination zone
out of illumination zone
NSN 8
Light Trespass
Would you be able to sleep if your bedroom
windows faced this neighbor’s light? (below)
What about the impact on your health?
Negative impacts on
human health include:
immune systems issues,
higher risk of breast cancer
and disruption of circadian
rhythms.
It is illegal to send fumes
over a neighbor’s yard, so
why is sending unwanted
bright light onto neighbor’s
property still permitted?
LA 1988 Night Sky is already Lost!
LIGHT POLLUTION:
Any adverse effect of
artificial light including sky
glow, glare, light clutter,
decreased visibility at night,
energy waste , and light
trespass with its associative
negative impacts on health
and the environment.
Why not just install fixtures
that reduce glare, provide
better visibility, save energy
and don’t trample on the
environment?
NSN 10
See this person. In the next image she has only moved about 5 feet.
Here we see a student on the walkway.
NSN 11
Where is she now? (She only moved about 5 feet.)
NSN 12
Here she is! Feel safer with globe lights now? Why is she hard to see?
NSN 13
Unshielded Fixture – “globe light”
NSN 14
Shielded
Fixture
• Minimizes glare.
• Minimizes light
directed upward.
• Minimizes light
trespass.
• Controls light output
and direction.
Shielded fixtures and full cutoff lights
can reduce glare and light scattering
(important to pilots) by directing light
downward where it is needed!
Now there is nowhere to hide!
NSN 15
Here a good deal of the light (and energy) is wasted,
and the glare may be too high for comfort.
NSN 16
An optimal design! Note the added light
near the entrances where there is more need.
Lighting triggered via motion detectors can also save energy and reduce light
pollution as well as increase safety by highlighting any unexpected motion!
Bad Lighting = Wasted Energy
Motion sensors can save energy and increase safety
by bringing attention to any unexpected activity!
Bad Lighting
When most of the light goes
up – into space, it is wasted!
It simply lights up the clouds
above us or the underbellies
of airplanes!
USA “nightlights”
Credit: NOAA Digital Archive
1999 – USA wasted a billion dollars
on the misuse of outdoor light!
2010 – USA
even brighter!
Only satellites can see this light –
not much help for us on Earth’s surface.
Bad Lighting = Wasted Energy
Above: Tucson 1950
Below: Tucson 1990 – 30 years ago
Lost Sky due to Tucson’s Light Dome!
Kitt Peak – world’s largest
collection of optical
telescopes
southwest
of Tucson
Light
Pollution
http://www.noao.edu/kpno/kpcam/index.shtml
Good Lighting
Dark Sky Communities with
light pollution ordinances now:
Flagstaff, AZ
Harmony, FL
Sharon, GA
as well as other recognized
Dark Sky Reserves and Parks
Note:
Good Lighting ≠ No Lighting
Some cities and states are now
enacting light pollution ordinances.
Comparisons
City vs. Dark site
Ontario, Canada
Aug 14 2003
during a blackout.
House lit inside by generator.
Ontario, Canada
Aug 15 2003
Handsome light Day and Night – no light directed upward at night!
Credit: Night Sky Network
24
Typical car lot? Much better!
Glare No Glare
Earth at Night
Credit: C. Mayhew & R. Simmon (NASA/GSFC,
NOAA/NGDC, DMSP Digital Archive)
Wasted energy concerns are related to
the irresponsible use of outside lighting.
What about adverse effects on plant
and animal life and reproduction?
(Sea turtles and trees for instance?)
NSN 26
Light pollution is a global issue with local solutions.
Consider the economic impact of wasted energy and the environmental impact of misused light.
“THE EARTH – We have only one Earth.
A beautiful island in space, and a jewel without price,
It is the only known home of life in all Creation.
To us it may seem indestructible and its resources inexhaustible,
Yet it is nothing but a speck of dust, adrift in a hostile Universe.
Treated badly, it could become a barren wasteland devoid of life.
Treated wisely, it can be a safe home for us and our children forever.
The choice is ours.” (Peter E. Spargo, Cape Town, 4 December 1988.)
NSN 27
Why should we care? (a review)
• We save money and energy;
• We improve safety for motorists and pedestrians;
• We increase security;
• We benefit animals and animal habitats;
• We improve the quality of life, decrease negative health impacts;
• We lessen greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming;
• We preserve the starry night.
25% of energy in the USA goes to lighting! We need to reduce this
consumption which will in turn reduce our carbon dioxide output.
Good Lighting
Maximizes the desired effects by minimizing the
adverse effects:
Respects the habits & habitats of animals & plants
Focuses light down so less is needed – Conserves energy
Decreases glare, light trespass, and sky glow
Increases safety and security:
Enables aging or disabled eyes to see better at night.
Increases visibility (e.g., sharper contrast, fewer shadows)
Maintains human health:
Circadian rhythm (which can impact immunology)
Sleep disorders (due to light trespass and blue light)
Provides good (nighttime) ambiance
Summary – Only two posts are required for each of the four Discussion Topics. Citations are needed for the second post only in order to back up why your viewpoint (opinion) has changed or been strengthened. If replying to another student’s post, citations are still needed to explain why you agree or disagree with their position. This needs to be backed up by citing reliable sources rather than just giving your opinion.
Directions – Write at least one paragraph consisting of three to five sentences including an introduction to your topic idea, the facts that support your statement, and your conclusion based on facts. Note that two posts, your position statement and a follow-up response, are required for each topic.
After stating and explaining your initial thoughts in post 1, do some research using the suggested or other reputable* websites and articles. Then in post 2, discuss whether or not your original thoughts and ideas have changed based on your research or respond to another’s opinion in a threaded discussion. Be sure to cite your sources in post 2. Post 1 is just a statement expressing your initial thoughts, so no other sources are needed unless you just wish to include them.
Topic
: Light pollution is not only a problem for astronomers; it also has been shown to have an adverse impact on human health and wildlife. Light pollution wastes energy but does little to increase safety.
For Post 1: Browse through the material posted by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) on their website,
http://www.darksky.org/about-ida
, and also read through the brochures posted at
http://www.darksky.org/education/quick-reference-materials#Brochures
.
For Post 2: See Dark Skies PowerPoint (I uploaded) and then Read through
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s968291.htm
.
Check out other websites regarding the impact of light pollution on wildlife such as
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130720-night-dark-light-pollution-science-stars/
or
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/04/nights-are-getting-brighter-earth-paying-the-price-light-pollution-dark-skies/
or
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/07/these-fish-eggs-not-hatching-problem-light-pollution/
.
The student answer that you need to reply on:
(From the readings, I gathered that light pollution can have adverse affects on human health such as breast cancer or disruption of circadian rhythm (the natural cycle of our bodies mentally, physically, and behaviorally in a 24 hour cycle) and can produce sky glow, glare, light clutter, decreased visibility during the night time, waste valuable energy, and light trespassing. I believe that this is a battle worth fighting for as ultimate cost and conservations of resources would be reserved and help society as a whole.
Since I grew up living in Chicago, I am no stranger to the light pollution of a massive city and light trespassing on neighbors whose houses were extremely close to our own and kept outside lights on during the night. As my bedroom was right next to this light, I definitely felt the adverse effects on my body physically and mentally with reduced performance in school due to lack of sleep. I remember always seeing how bright the night sky was in Chicago and now that I live in Tennessee, I realized how much of the starry night I was unable to see.
I think that the IDA does a great job of giving advice to fix some problems with light solutions, however they did not work in my case. In the case of light trespassing, the IDA recommended to have a chat with your neighbor about the problems that it causes. My family and I expressed how our neighbor’s bright light kept me up at night and how it was a waste of energy to which they replied they kept their light on in case their daughter came back home (though she was well into her 20’s and no longer lived with them and never came to visit). This being said, it is good advice and it never hurts to have these conversations!
I think that by implementing dimmers, and the use of lights that aim downwards, this can drastically reduce a lot of the light trespassing that can be a problem for very urban areas and a lot of issues for wildlife that can get confused by such bright lights during the nighttime. With this knowledge, hopefully new cities that are being built will do their best to implement energy saving and light pollution reducing lights).
For Both Posts: Discuss what light pollution is and whether or not this is a battle worth fighting. If you find it to be worthwhile, discuss the best way of implementing some of the ideas presented by the IDA. If not, suggest alternatives.
Reminder – two discussion posts are required for full credit.