Light Pollution: Impacts and Solutions

If the environment doesn’t concern you, perhaps your safety as home does; many people have security lights to prevent criminal activity, but, in reality, the contrast between the dark shadows and bright driveway make it difficult to see things that are just outside the light. So you could have a lit up car, but someone could be sitting, invisible, in your hedges.

These are merely a few of the possible negative effects light pollution has on our world. A very serious issue in our modern-day society is that light pollution is a terrible waste of energy. Lighting the sky is not a priority for our cities, and yet thousands of streetlamps are improperly shielded, and allow light to escape upwards. By simply using effective streetlamps, we could lower the bulb wattage in public areas and save millions of dollars. Problems concerning other “overlit” areas, such as factories, gas stations, business towers and baseball diamonds, can be solved simply by turning off the lights when they’re not needed.

Light pollution is the easiest type of pollution to end. It only requires a lot of cooperation. One way to do this is to inform the municipal government of the problem. Tell them that low-pressure sodium bulbs reduce glare and save money. Also, although they have a high price, fully cut-off lighting fixtures have a very low operating cost. Tucson, Arizona, and San Diego, California are two cities that realize how much light pollution affects the environment. They are two North American cities that have strict rules about their lighting.

Individuals can help stop light pollution, too. Just turning off lights when you are not in the room and using proper shielding outside can reduce sky glow. Using light timers and occupancy sensors help a lot.

But the best way to help stop light pollution is to let others know about it. With more people helping to stop it, we have a much better chance of reducing light pollution and putting an end to the decades of invisible stars in the night sky.