STARRY NIGHTS
by Gary Boyle
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March 26, 2004
TURNING DOWN THE GLARE
Over the past few years Ottawa as well as other cities and towns have seen new developments being built in both housing and commercial projects. This increase in construction is a sign that the economy is growing, which benefits us all. However with this construction boom comes the ever increasing need for outdoor lighting.
Street lights and parking lots have turned (in some cases) night into day. With this ever increasing need to light up every blade of grass and inch of asphalt, we are loosing one of our greatest natural resources - the night sky.
One must keep I mind it is not the invention of the light bulb that causes light pollution but the way we use it. The International Darksky Association (IDA) was incorporated in 1988 to deal with the then, ever encroaching sprawl of urban lights. Sky glow was beginning to affect the major astronomical observatories in California. Because of the IDA’s efforts, the word has gotten around the world on the ways we can incorporate better lighting and methods to keep skies dark, save tax dollars and improve the quality of life.
Light pollution affects not just amateur astronomers and star gazers but all of us. The influx of higher wattage and unshielded lights impacts us all. Comparable to loud noises or foul smells, light trespass can be just as bad. Cobra lights are known to emit carbon dioxide or CO2 into air which adds to greenhouse gases and climate change.
The Ottawa Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada through its Light Pollution Abatement Committee (LPAC) has been instrumental in helping Mississippi Mills adopt the first light pollution by-law (#03-62) for the area.
Light pollution is produced by stray light pointing upwards to the sky. When photons of light encounter dust particles and minute water droplets in the atmosphere, a veil or dome of light is created thus hanging over a city or town. The secret to curbing this escalating problem is to ensure light fixtures point light downwards and not upwards or to the sides.
Seven ways in which light pollution affects us all:
- Stray lights equal wasted tax dollars.
- Artificial lights affect nature – thousands of birds fly into high rise windows of building lit after hours.
- Poorly located high wattage fixtures found on sides of building called wallpacks, can be a road hazard thus obstructing the driver’s vision.
- Old technology fixtures draw a lot of energy. This taxes the Ontario Hydro grid, especially in summer.
- Astronomical research cannot be accomplished within city limits.
- Equivalent to loud noise or foul smells, light trespass from neighbours or commercial properties affects your quality of life (lack of sleep).
- Stray light at night does not allow the human body to reduce natural hormone called Melatonin. This vital hormone is thought to avert some forms of cancer including breast cancer.
Various lighting companies in the area have developed high efficient designs that produce the same amount of light but at lower wattage. They are called Sharp Cutoff Lights and have flat bottoms as opposed to the lens type of traditional Cobra lights which by the way can cast a shadow in the dark countryside for about two kilometres.
The city of Ottawa has adopted a ‘Strategic Lighting Plan’ to reduce to side affects of light pollution as well as saving our valuable tax dollars. You have probably noticed more of these flat bottom lights appearing on new residential streets.
The city of Calgary has adopted a city wide light pollution by-law in which they are replacing every streetlight with the most cost efficient and healthier design. Cost savings in previously wasted kilowatt hours, will pay for the project in a few years.
But everyone can do their part now to help reclaim our natural resource – the night sky. In most cases for residential lights, there are numerous, very inexpensive designs of shields that would keep light angled downwards. Every light fixture has a certain radius of efficiency, after that it’s just ugly glare without serving a useful purpose.
For further information on this subject do a search on the Internet for "light pollution".
Clear skies.
