Urban Ecoist

When I lived in Chicago, Illinois, I never saw the stars. I would have to rely on my camping trips into Wisconsin and Michigan in order to see the constellations. I had grown up in the country during my later childhood years, after my parents had enough of Detroit, Michigan, so seeing stars and a dark night sky were taken for granted. Until I moved to a place where you couldn’t see them, that I realized how important the night sky was to me.

I now reside in Portland, Oregon, and I am ever so happy to report that the night sky is visible here in the middle of the city. I get excited when something astronomical comes my way, but the years of deprivation makes me aware that not everyone is lucky enough to see the stars.

This is what the United States looks like at night. Here is a link to the map if you want to view it closer up. It is quite sad, in my opinion. Imagine living in Los Angeles and never being able to see the dog star or the Belt of Orion. I did live in SoCal for two years, and yeah, it kinda sucked. Imagine living in LA for your entire life…

Whether you have experienced or even heard of light polution, also sometimes called luminous pollution, the United States has only recently taken any action on the growing problem of light pollution. This past spring, some members of Congress sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency to urge some action on the issue. True, it is only a letter, but it’s a first step. In case you missed the memo, the US Congress works at a snail’s pace.

And light pollution is also wasteful. All of those watts of wasted, space-bound lighting, i.e. electricity is generated by coal and oil, which in turn pollute the environment and cause all those other things like greenhouse gases. Oh, yeah, and light pollution is the subject of research that is reporting detrimental health effects on animals and humans due to the overabundance of artificial light.

We can do our individual part to reduce our local light pollution. Obviously, if you switch to CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps), you will reduce the wattage needed for your outdoor/indoor lighting. Here is something from the Starry Night Lights.

Each one of us can contribute to the reduction of Light Pollution in our own ways. First, by making sure that our exterior lighting is ordinance compliant lighting. By this, is meant that they only light the ground beneath them… and never shine across onto a neighboring property… or into the night sky. Secondly, by making sure that your outdoor lights are only on when needed. By this, is meant that they’re only on when there is activity in the area. Dusk to dawn lighting is to be strictly avoided. Thirdly, reduce the wattage of your bulbs. The human eye is remarkable in its ability to adapt to the amount of light present. Too much light can be overwhelming and glaring… actually reducing visibility. Even a small reduction in wattage will reduce light pollution. You might be surprised with how well you can see at night with a reduced wattage.

If you are really serious about this, you can contact your local business and commercial neighbors to urge them to reconfigure their lighting practices around their property. I know that the word “community organizer” has come up in the news as a derogatory term as of late, but action in your own community is an effective way of promoting change and better responsibility on the part of everyone.

Waste is waste, after all, even if it is something as seemingly intangible like light.

More links to organizations that address light pollution.

International Dark Sky Association

Sensible and Efficient Lighting to Enhance the Nighttime Sky

Campaign for Dark Skies

light pollution, Chicago, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, constellations, dog star, belt of Orion, stars, night sky, skies, pollution, luminous pollution, wattage, waste, health, United States, Starry Night Lights, International Dark Sky Association, coal, oil, environment, animals, humans, Congress, Los Angeles, Detroit