Birds, insects, mammals, and even humans, evolved a circadian rhythm. The balance between day and night has tipped decidedly toward 24 hour daytime. Below are estimated impacts by the International Dark Sky Association.
Light Pollution News
A bi-monthly podcast that looks at all of the topics in and around our nighttime environment.
Host, Bill McGeeney, is joined by three guests to help walk you through the news around how artificial light at night impacts human culture, crime, and our environment. The path to neighborhood friendly starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you!
Featured Episodes
June 2025: Gucci Bag Deep State!
Host: Bill McGeeney
Guests:
- David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of the Astronomy Magazine.
- Nancy Gonlin, Professor of Anthropology at Bellevue College.
- Michael Colligan, Host of Restoring Darkness.
Wow, we have a great one for you today! Starting with – are you afraid of the dark? You may be shocked by our panel’s answer! Citizen science looks at light’s effects on butterflies. And East Riding of Yorkshire is testing the waters on some no light roadways.
This month, I welcome the host of the Restoring Darkness podcast, Michael Colligan; Editor in Chief of Astronomy Magazine, David Eicher; and Professor of Anthropology from Bellevue College, Dr. Nancy Gonlin!
June 2025: Cozy Lychnology!
Host: Bill McGeeney
Guests:
- David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief of the Astronomy Magazine.
- Nancy Gonlin, Professor of Anthropology at Bellevue College.
- Michael Colligan, Host of Restoring Darkness.
We finish out our stellar June lineup by exploring our ancient relationship with the night. We always knew chocolate at night was a good thing, but dang, the Mayans took it to a whole new level! Can the stars heal the mind? A new dark sky trail, and much more!
This month, I welcome back Editor-in-Chief of one of my favorite magazines, Astronomy Magazine – David Eicher; the host of the Restoring Darkness podcast, Michael Colligan; and Professor of Anthropology from Bellevue College, Dr. Nancy Gonlin!
July 2025: Know, But Don’t Know Your Fireflies!
Host: Bill McGeeney
Guests:
- Tom Rienert, Past President of Dark Sky International.
- Jeffrey Calta,  President of the Pennsylvania Firefly Festival.
This episode, we take a deep dive into fireflies. And that’s a good thing because we have the President of the Pennsylvania Firefly Festival, Jeff Calta, here to talk about everything related to our little flying friends. Also here, is Dark Sky International’s Tom Reinert!
We talk about the importance of data collection; how three townships in Ohio turned off the lights for mayflies; and we asked – do plants care if pollination happens during the daytime vs nighttime? Listen up next for the answer!
Helpful Tips!
Solution to Reduce Light Pollution: 10 Easy Ways
When we start thinking about the issue of light pollution, like many other environmental issues, it can seem like an impossible problem to fix. Luckily, light pollution is technically the most easily reversible form of pollution. If you are interested in reducing light pollution, the best way to start is at home. We have 10 easy steps you can follow to inventory your home lighting to decrease the amount of light pollution coming from your home.
How Many Lumens Do You Need for Outdoor Lighting?
When installing or replacing outdoor lights, brightness of the lights (lumens) is an important factor that needs to be considered. The amount of lumens needed will depend on the application. This will range from 12-800 lumens depending on the purpose of the light.
We recommend going on the lower end when possible, this will not only save on energy costs, but it will help to decrease your contribution to light pollution. You can also add additional lights, or go with a brighter light bulb if you find you need a brighter light for your outdoor lighting.
Best Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Your Backyard Landscape.
Many people put a lot of time, money, and effort into their outdoor spaces. Lights are a great way to enjoy your outdoor living space at all times of the day. We believe that less is more when it comes to lighting. Too much lighting and everything will be bathed in a generic glow, the play of light and shadows allows for a much more dramatic effect and will allow certain areas and features to be highlighted. We have some great dark sky friendly lighting options for all your outdoor lighting needs.
Do We Need All Of That Light?
Protect Our Night
Annual Estimated Cost of Exterior Lighting
50B USD
US Department of Energy Estimated Percentage Resulting in Wasted Light
99%
Annual American Consumption of Outdoor Lighting.
308 tWH
Light Pollution in Numbers
Excess and Unnecessary Light Have Consequences.
875,000,000
Trees Needed to Offset CO2 Emissions from Outdoor Lighting in the US Per Year, via the International Dark Sky Association.
99%
Americans and Europeans who can’t see the Milky Way, per National Geographic.
1,000,000,000
Estimated bird deaths annually due to factors including building lights, per NPR
2x
Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans are 2x more likely to live in heavily light polluted environments according to 2020 Study.