Light Pollution

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http://www.globe.gov/globeatnight/

Come on guys, help assess the level of light pollution in your area! It's a great excuse to go stargazing, too

What can be Done about light pollution? I personally f*****g Hate that obnoxious yellow glow in the sky at night near any built-up area. I would LOVE for their to be a noctural blackout on a clear summer night but I guess only the East Coast gets to enjoy such ordeals.

Actually, a few cities have become intelligent and started requiring lights to be less obnoxious. Politicians have been influenced by science, and this is totally awesome (yay Carl Sagan!). I think some people are even starting to understand that insanely bright lights are actually more dangerous than dim ones, because human eyes cannot adjust quickly enough.

People have known about the negative effects of light pollution on animals and insects for years, but only after a report is released about the correlation between assault and bright lights do people start to care. Isn't the fact that we can't see as many stars anymore bad enough?

I remember reading about light pollution management in an article in the New Yorker last summer, but I can't remember the exact issue. Just so you know... change is possible.

edit: I forgot to say what can be done.
1. Don't shine lights on your landscaping or house. It looks tacky and it's just bad overall.
2. Use the lowest recommended wattage at night, for security lamps outside.
3. Ask your city to replace their streetlights with more efficient sources. Mirrors and other reflective devices can be used on long strips of little-used roads, like freeways. They "bounce" the light from your car's headlamps, so the road is actually illuminated much more efficiently and fluidly than it would be with spotlights.
4. Annoy everyone who is contributing to serious light pollution. Gas stations, shopping centers, or anything else that comes to mind.

Many things can be done to make stargazing fun again. This is just a short list.

I have often fantasized about disrupting power(and hence noctural urban lighting) using an Non-Nuclear Electromagnetic Pusle generator.

It's a pity that it causes harm to animals. I like brightly lit cities at night.

Edit: I'm not even sure if it is as harmful to animals as everyone seems to think. I see no evidence for it, and surely it is the least harmful of the effects human civilization has on the natural world. Other than the simple effect of pollution caused by overuse of electricity... Hmm... Still, it seems like a drop in the ocean as far as environmental concerns go.

Dark sky dot org has lots of info about light pollution. And how to light better to stop this annoying loss of night sky.
http://www.darksky.org

As does light at night affect heath yes maybe
here is one study and there are more if you search online.
http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/r ... /11174.pdf

You're right as far as the minor effect compared to most other things we do, but it does wreak havoc on many nocturnal animals and insects. The popular pity-mascot here in Florida is the sea turtle, because the babies have evolved to swim toward the sun upon hatching. Because of artificial lighting on shore, the turtles crawl onto streets and die. I think ordinances are in place to turn off lights in mating season, but I don't live on the beach, so I'm not sure.

Dark Sky is awesome, I love them.

Now im interested.. I always seen them stars in the sky but never new a name for it. I see orion when i look out my bedroom window but not much else.

Yes, now you mention it, I've heard about the turtle problem. That is one instance where something definitely needs to be done.

I lived in Northern Mass. I had to drive clean up to the Vermont/New Hampshire border to see the Milky Way. About 55 miles. Damn!

I now live in New Jersey. The only way I am going to see the stars right is to go out on the Atlantic at least 20 miles off shore. As they say in New Jersey; fugedaboutdid.

ruveyn