Revealing the Universe - check this out.

[Cyberman]

I agree that street lighting is an important part of our society, but that doesn't mean that the lights need to be so detrimental to the environment.

You either have street lights or you don't. Simple as.

With crime and burglaries on the rise I'd rather have the marvels of man-made technology light my way and make me feel a little more secure than what some useless galaxy looks like, that I'm completely indifferent to anyway.

To me, the bigger the universe is, just means there's more of it to ignore.

Not so simple.


See all that light pouring out upwards? How many burglars go about in helicopters?


Let's try motorways:


Notice all that orange glow being emitted in all directions, including upwards where it serves no useful purpose? As well as being wasteful, it can be dangerous to drivers, having all that glare shining into their eyes.


It doesn't have to be like that. These are full cut-off lights:




Same road coverage, far less pollution and much less direct glare.


If it's crime you're worried about, how does this:


help anyone except the burglar? In contrast, this:


adequately illuminates the property and affords the burglar no shielding in the glare.

That's all dependent on there being a connection between lighting and crime reduction anyway, which is questionable. Studies indicate that lighting may actually increase crime; certainly the fear of crime.

To reiterate, no-one I hope is recommending tearing down all night lighting, for that way madness lies. However, it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing binary proposition. I don't care whether anyone is interested in obscure galaxies or not, in fact that's a non-factor and a red herring. The issues go far deeper than simply keeping the skies clear; that's merely a happy bonus. The environmental costs alone would make it a real issue for concern, from the threat to wildlife to increased additional greenhouse gas emissions. Factor in the economic costs - for example, the City of Calgary have been retrofitting all their street lighting with lower wattage, flat lens fixtures at a projected saving of $1.7 million per year - as well as the impact on health and it's surprising that this whole mess doesn't get the prominence it deserves.