Keeping you up to date with the latest LP happenings.
Calgary, Canada launches EnviroSmart Street Light Program -- Find out how they'll save over $2 million annually while reducing light pollution and toxic emissions.
In America's sprawling cities and suburbs, most stars are no longer visible at night
US Cities Get Failing Grade for Air Quality -- More than half of all Americans live in areas that got an “F” in a report on air quality by the American Lung Association.
Outdoor
Lighting and Crime -- "there is no
reliable evidence that more or brighter outdoor lighting reduces crime rates".
Find out what else a recent Australian study found out.
Maryland
Task Force Created to Study Lighting Efficiency and Light Pollution -- their
goal: to study the cost, extent, and consequences of inefficient public lighting
and light pollution in the State and also study the benefits of alternative improvements.
Gas Station Lighting Study Released -- Find out how good lighting can help increase sales.
Green Practices are Smart Practices -- Examples of some stylish, but sky-friendly lighting
ICOLE's Outdoor Lighting
Practices in the State of Indiana --
The Indiana Council on Outdoor Lighting Education produced this excellent
document on good lighting practices. Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Virginia
Outdoor Lighting Taskforce -- Promoting safe
and efficient outdoor lighting
New Jersey's
Light Pollution Committee's Report and Recommendations -- Several years
ago, the state of New Jersey commissioned this committee to investigate,
report on, and offer recommendation for the elimination of light pollution.
Aspen,
Colorado -- Outdoor Lighting Ordinance: "The City of Aspen has experienced a significant increase in the use of exterior illumination. City residents’ value small town character and the qualities associated with this character, including the ability to view the stars against a dark sky. They recognize that inappropriate and poorly designed or installed outdoor lighting causes unsafe and unpleasant conditions, limits their ability to enjoy the nighttime sky, and results in unnecessary use of electric power."
Mammoth
Lakes, California -- Outdoor Lighting Ordinance: "The purpose is to
promote a safe and pleasant nighttime environment for residents and visitors, to
prevent nuisances caused by unnecessary light intensity, direct glare and
light trespass, and to protect the ability to view the night sky"
Haley,
Idaho -- Outdoor Lighting Ordinance: "The ordinance is the second of its kind in the Wood River Valley, and is devoted to safety, energy conservation, and the preservation of one of our most cherished natural resources - the view of the pristine Idaho night sky."
Ketchum,
Idaho -- Dark Sky Ordinance: "The general purpose of this Ordinance is to protect and promote the public health, safety and welfare, the quality of life, and the ability to view the night sky, by establishing regulations and a process of review for exterior lighting."
Taos,
New Mexico -- Outdoor Lighting Ordinance: "This new Ordinance will promote energy efficiency and reduce or prevent light pollution;
protect a historical legacy and provide enjoyment of the night sky of the Town of Taos for future generations;
and complements the New Mexico Night Sky Protection Act and can be more restrictive but not less restrictive in its implementation"
Checkout Salt Lake City's "Dark Sky Friendly"
Street Lighting Master Plan
New
Mexico Night Sky Protection Act
-- Check out
this overview of legislation enacted to protect the skies in New Mexico
Summit
County, Utah - Snyderville Basin Development Code -- This governmental
work can definitely be interpreted as pro-Dark Sky; all that's needed now is
adequate enforcement. Chapter 4.22 details the Lighting
Regulations. Here's a quote from the introduction:
"The purpose of this Section is to regulate the use of outdoor artificial illuminating devices emitting undesirable light rays into the night sky, or onto private properties which have a detrimental effect on the rural mountain environment."
Bernalillo County, New Mexico -
See how this New Mexico
community got serious with it's outdoor lights. They made use of the
"sunset clause", not the typical "grandfather clause".
Sunset clauses remove the problem. Grandfather clauses allow current offenders
to continue with business as usual. Here's what they had to say: "...ALL
OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURES MUST COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE BY MARCH 5, 1996.
NON-CONFORMING LIGHTS MUST BE REMOVED OR CONVERTED TO AN ALLOWED TYPE."
Way to go, New Mexico!
The
Village of Los Ranchos - Checkout section
15-18(bottom) which specifically calls for dark skies to preserve the
"valley character" and to "minimize light pollution" Well
done.
Also checkout Section 18 - Dark Sky Lighting Examples. Here they depict what
acceptable and unacceptable lighting fixtures are.
Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader
Checkout the Utah Skies website at www.UtahSkies.org for some additional reasons on why preserving the night skies is so important.