Exterior lights are ineffective at their intended purpose, and as Rosemary explains have unintended consequences.
Light pollution has unintended consequences.
This week marks the traditional start to summer. For many of us, that means hiking and camping and spending time in nature. However, one traditional summer outdoor activity has become harder for everyone to enjoy. The sad fact is we are losing the ability to stargaze. The stars aren’t disappearing, of course. But ever-increasing light pollution has drastically reduced our ability to see them.
Of course, artificial lights aren’t all bad, but according to the International Dark Skies Association, three-quarters of the outdoor illumination we use is directed up instead of down. This poor design wastes more than $2 billion dollars of electricity every year!
Now people often put up lights around their homes for safety reasons, but federal research could find no correlation between safety and outdoor lighting. And as most cops will tell you the majority of burglaries take place during the day. Additionally, study after study has shown that artificial outdoor lighting disrupts natural cycles for so many creatures. Many millions of birds die each year crashing into over-lit office buildings, for example.
Now, happily, people are starting to recognize the impacts of light pollution and are taking positive steps. More governments at both the national and local levels are passing ordinances to reduce light pollution. And manufacturers are stepping up to the plate by offering better fixtures and designs to help cut down on wasteful and unhealthy levels of artificial lighting.
So, turn out the lights when you don’t need to have them on. Consider replacing poorly designed fixtures with ones that direct the light only where it’s needed. You’ll save money and help wildlife. Like Darth Vader said to Luke Skywalker...
"If you only knew the power of the dark side."
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