LIGHT POLLUTION

QUICK FACTS AND SOLUTIONS

What's the Problem with Light Pollution?

Unshielded light shinning into eyes reduces vision and that's dangerous. A good light fixture shows you the scene, but can't be seen.

Misdirected light shinning into eyes, off property, or into the night sky is wasted electricity. That means higher electric bills and unnecessary air pollution.

Misdirected light shinning onto someone else's property is a nuisance. Too much light can create clutter, the visual equivalent of dueling boom boxes, and gives the community an industrial look.

Excessively bright lighting makes it difficult to see into nearby darker areas. A highly illuminated background makes foreground objects turn into silhouettes. Eyes readjust slowly from bright light to lower light levels, temporarily diminishing vision.

An overly lighted business is as intrusive as an oversized sign and creates a prison yard look.

Light shinning upward into the night sky destroys our view of half of our natural environment. Artificially brightened night skies diminish the usefulness of astronomical observatories and deprive us all of the calming and inspiring wonder of the heavens.

Simple Light Pollution Solutions

Use only lighting fixtures that direct light downward and not upward or into your eyes. Fixtures creating dangerous glare should be shielded or removed without delay and nuisances should be abated. Large capital outlays can be avoided by initially requiring that these better lighting standards apply only to new fixtures, existing fixtures as they require repair, and hazardous lighting.

Re-aim moveable fixtures to reduce glare and light directed off property or upward.

Set limits on how bright lights can be. See ICOLE's Framework for Lighting Ordinances for suggestions.

Require lighting designs that allow unneeded lights to be turned off.

Use motion detector activated lighting for security needs.

The Indiana Council on Outdoor Lighting Education, ICOLE
P.O. Box 17351
Indianapolis, IN 46217
http://icole.home.att.net

All material here is copyrighted by its authors as noted and can be used for non-commercial purposes to promote outdoor lighting education, providing proper credit is given.