In addition to manifestations of physical issues, excessive lighting at night hinders our ability to view the millions of stars in our skies.
How You Can Help
When you are planning your outdoor lighting design, try to keep some of these key points in mind and create a lighting look that is both complimentary to your home and friendly to our night skies.
• Select low-glare lighting. Use low-wattage lights or shield them so the light only goes where you want it.
• Mount architectural lighting high and aim it downwards. Make sure any lighting directed upwards remains focused on the structure.
• Choose landscape and security lighting that is fully shielded, which prevents excessive light from escaping into the sky.
• Use the amount of light needed to highlight an area or illuminate a doorway, but do not over-light an area.
• Turn off lights when they are not needed or put them on a timer.
Glare from excessive lights at night poses a particular safety hazard because it can be blinding to pedestrians and motorists alike. This becomes an ever- increasing concern as the major component of our population continues to age. In an effort to increase safety and reduce glare, the City of Los Angeles converted to fully-shielded street lights many years ago, making that city a pioneer in the prevention of light pollution.
By choosing quality outdoor lighting fixtures and utilizing care in their placement, you can prevent outdoor lighting pollution and help stop its adverse effects. Not only will you be taking a very easy step towards protecting our environment, but you will save yourself money in the form of energy costs as well. You will also be preserving our ability, and our children’s’ ability, to carry on the pastime of stargazing.
If you have any questions or concerns about how to find night sky-friendly outdoor lighting fixtures, talk to your local sales representative or look for the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) seal of approval. There are currently over 40 major manufacturers of outdoor lighting that meet IDA standards.
In addition to using outdoor lighting fixtures that meet IDA’s standards, look for the Energy Star symbol to ensure you are purchasing the most efficient lighting systems available. This will also help to ensure you are installing fixtures that are both energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
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