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 Podcast Shedding the Light Only Where Needed
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
Featured Episodes
April 2023: Neighborhood Looks Like a Truck Stop
One resident of Pompano Beach, FL fumes over city’s change in plans for neighborhood street lighting. Pregnant women warned to watch their exposure to lights before bed. Bird migration lights out programs take effect, and we talk about just how exactly lights affect birds. Plus much more, including an ‘Afraid of the Dark’ segment, you won’t want to skip!
May 2023: Lumens are Calling
Today, we surmise about the coming Lumen apocalypse. And we take a journey to learn about the history of light temperatures. We learn about light pollution’s impact on mosquitos. A new study casts doubt on street light’s impact on melatonin. Plus, is darkness becoming a luxury? We have an excellent panel this month featuring Dark Sky’s Michael Rymer and Youth Advocate, Bonnie Peng!
June 2023: Unpacking the Light Police
This month, we ask Texas, is 7 enough? Leave some dark sky reserves for the rest of us, Texas! We learn that birds are not only remarkable meteorologist, but they have on-time departure numbers that’ll make American Airlines blush. John Barentine, of Dark Sky Consulting joins us on the show, along everyone’s favorite birder-conservationist, Kaitlyn Evans!
Learn More!
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.
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.
