Light pollution: do you care?

[TheNoNamedOne]

In the last 20 years or so, astronomers, scientists, and environmentalists have been steadily growing in numbers with their criticisms of light pollution from homes, businesses, and urban infrastructure. Many of those worry about the aesthetic value and cultural heritage of night skies being drowned out with lights that make the stars and constellations.

Of course many claim that well lit cities mean decreased crime and a more active economy providing more productivity for a full 24 hrs. Therefore, they may put more value on that than over any joy or research benefits that city dwellers or city based scientists may get from being able to observe the stars.

Of course there is the ecosystem to care about, too. Many species of insects and bats use the light of the moon and stars to navigate, so if light from the cities drown those celestial guides out for them, it can negatively impact the ecosystem at its base.

Here in Okinawa I am always reminded about turning off outside lights whenever I see lightning bugs, knowing that they find their mates through their flashing lights. If their light cannot be seen because they do not have a black background, then their numbers can be negatively impacted upon.

Do you care about light pollution?

http://3ap.org/images/night_usa.jpg

http://i.treehugger.com/images/2007-2-1/Light%20Pollution.jpg

http://www.inhabitat.com/images/ontario14aug03.jpg

http://www.lightpollution.org.uk/images/us_growth%20copiaLPweb.jpg

YouTube - lightning bugs

[Tony Stacks]

Not really but I kind of always wondered how black the sky would really be at night without lights and now the pics you provided are pretty interesting.

[okisteve]

You don't really notice it until you go camping in a remote area - wow, look at all those stars! Safety and esthetic considerations aside, it is also an energy consumption issue.

[DocTurtle]

I remember one of the most beautiful skys I've ever seen was when we first landed in Afghanistan. I don't know what time it was, but it was dark out. Not a single light to be seen what so ever. I looked up and I could see millions of stars. It was amazing. Truely breath taking.
Like Okisteve said, "you really don't notice it until you go camping in a remote area." Once you are there though, it alone almost makes you not want to leave.

[Go-Shay]

IMO that all the lights should be off after 10pm everyday. So we can enjoy the stars and I can walk around stark naked all the time:thumbup::thumbup: that way I don't have to worry about spilling wine on my clothes:thumbup:

[Oxmix]

No light pollution in North Korea.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Oxmix/NSKoreanight.jpg

Regards

Ox

[kombu_kid]

Man, I'm all for that......except I've got this thing where rules tend to irk me. Kinduva dilemma. Since I'm out in the middle of the desert, we see a lot of stars, especially when there's no moon out. Just awesome in summer to lay out at night staring at the sky, watching out for shooting stars.

There is getting to be more and more light pollution at night from the surrounding areas, though, and it bugs me. Especially people with their "security lights"......it's like these people each have their own stinkin' streetlight in their yard. As much as I hate more laws and more control from the gov't, it would sure be nice to actually see near total darkness at night.

[Mad Hatter]

I don't know TP. You made a really good point on both sides. I think that I'm going to have to side with leave the lights on when needed. I know that we can turn our house lights out and save energy, but I think that in most big cities, we have to leave most the lights on. Like you were saying, most every sizable city is a 24 hour machine... people have to feel safe. The safest place is in the light.

But in the States... I'm a country boy. the closet big city in about a 45 minute drive. Plus, it's on the top of the mountain... AND I DO MISS IT!!!

[DougP]

If the turn the lights down then it would destroy the beautiful scenery as seen from space. Those pictures do look amazing.:) I would rather be able to see the stars in the sky my self, perhaps I should move to North Korea.

[DoctorP]

Not a lot of light pollution in my neck of the woods! I can go out most any clear night and watch the stars!

[DocTurtle]

Well aren't you the special one DoctorP. J/k.

[DoctorP]

My new place will be even better DocT...almost nothing around me there!

[DocTurtle]

Niiiice. I want to retire in Australia so that we can live in the outback or some where a little remote so that we can see the night sky. Plus I would like to see the Southern Cross.

[The_Zach2681]

**** Australia - I'm going to the Atacama desert. That's a place where you can really party!

[Fonze]

I would like to see more stars but for big cities they need that safety aspect. When i was in Reno all you would have to do is drive 30 min in any direction and you scould see billions of the things.

[TheNoNamedOne]

What a clear night! (http://www.s-anand.net/calvinandhobbes.html#19880528) Look at all the stars. Millions of them! Yes, we're just tiny specks on a planet particle, hurling through the infinite blackness. Let's go in and turn on all the lights. -- Calvin, Calvin and Hobbes

[Odie]

I remember when I was a child growing up in Ecuador how amazingly beautiful the nights were. Light pollution was one of the last things we had to worry about since there were acres of land between our house and the neighbors. I also recall my father and grandfather running around in the darkness with guns trying to run off potential home invaders. I know it sounds ridiculous but it's true.

Just a few years ago the passenger window of my brand new Acura got smashed to bits when I made the mistake of parking it in the unlit part of the lot. I guess the person who bust out my window mistook my makeup bag for a purse, that or he was a very angry cross dresser. Also my father had to install security flood lights which are set off by sensors due to a series of incidents which culminated when someone attached a small rocket type thing, maybe a cherry bomb, to his drivers side mirror blowing it up, busting the glass on his door out and causing overall damage to that side of the car. After the lights were installed the incidents stopped.

Based on my experiences I can understand why people want to light up the night. What's particularly sad about this is that human actions towards one another have set in place a situation where our best interests oppose those of nature.

If only some people weren't such trash.

I do miss those starlit skies.

[Sex Wax]

You can turn off some of the lights at night to save power, but at least leave them solar powered lawn lights on, the Aliens may see a dark spot and land on your house! Its true...happend to a buddie of mine.

:thumbup1:

[Zorro]

Many species of insects and bats use the light of the moon and stars to navigate,

Maybe as reference points, like its clear and starry on one side of the sky, but I think bats got plenty of reference points so its not affecting them. Elsewise they would never make it home on cloudy nights.

Light pollution bothers me personally tho. No surprise Japan is so bright on that map. You can be out in the boondocks here and they have plenty of streetlights on all night long. Really pissed me off when I lived up in the mountains. The sky would have been beautiful if not for the countryside being lit up same as it was downtown. Didnt even need headlights half the time, and not a soul walking around. It was utterly, totally and in all other ways stupid, pointless, thoughtless and wasteful, and wasteful of not only money and electricity, but also of natural beauty. If had my pellet gun from back home, I probably would have shot all the local lights out one night.
:61:

[zenzelle]

This is an interesting thread. I just got an email with the following below from my friend who works in Cambodia for the Wildlife Conservation Society. Keep in mind that it was started by Spanish speakers so the translation is a little loose - they translated it into many languages that I didn't include here. Anyway you can join me in spreading the word and giving it a try on Sept. 17th. ???? Why not...

"APAGÓN MUNDIAL EL 17 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2008

ESTE APAGÓN SERÁ DE 21:50 A 22:00, A LA MISMA HORA LOCAL DE CADA PAÍS EN TODO EL MUNDO.
On Wendesday, September 17, 2008, I invite people around the world to turn off their lights for ten minutes – from 9:50pm to 10:00pm in their local time zone.
Castellano:
Oscuridad mundial: En Septiembre 17, 2008 desde las 21:50 a las 22:00 horas.
Se propone apagar todas las luces y si es posible todos los aparatos eléctricos, para que nuestro planeta pueda 'respirar'.
Si la respuesta es masiva, la energía que se ahorra puede ser brutal.
Solo 10 minutos y vea que pasa.
Si estamos 10 minutos en la oscuridad, prendamos una vela y simplemente la miramos y nosotros estaremos respirando y nuestro planeta.
Recuerde que la unión hace la fuerza y el Internet puede tener mucho poder y puede ser aun algo más grande.

Pase la noticia, si usted tiene amigos que viven en otros países envíeselo a ellos.

Ingles:
Darkness world: On September 17, 2008 from 21:50 to 22:00 hours.
Proposes to delete all lights and if possible all electrical appliances, to our planet can 'breathe'.
if the answer is massive, energy saving can be brutal.
Only 10 minutes, and see what happens.
Yes, we are 10 minutes in the dark, we light a candle and simply
Be looking at it, we breathe and our planet.
Remember that the union is strength and the Internet can be very power and can
Even do something big.

Moves the news, if you have friends to live in other countries send to them.

Chino:
黑暗的世界：對2008年9月17日從21時50分至22:00 。
這是建議關掉所有電燈及可能的話，所有電器，使我們的星球可以'呼吸' 。
如果答案是大規模，節能，可殘酷的。
只有10分鐘，並看看會發生什麼情況。
如果我們10分鐘，在黑暗中，成衣蠟燭和簡單的外觀和我們將呼吸和我們的星球。
記得當時的聯盟是實力和在互聯網上可以有很大的權力和，甚至可以更大一些。
通過新聞.

[macker]

I would imagine that there will be a slight "spike" in crime approximately September 17, 2008 from 21:50 to 22:00 hours.


:)

[macker]

And a whole lot of ASS Grabbin going on!!!

[zenzelle]

I would imagine that there will be a slight "spike" in crime approximately September 17, 2008 from 21:50 to 22:00 hours.


:)

My solution -
Go inside
Lock your door
Ass grab with the one you love for 10 minutes!

[macker]

Thats NO fun...

[TheLastDon]

I always like camping at outer islands and seeing all the stars. It's amazing the difference between Okinawa and say Ie island or other islands.

[DougP]

I think this so called light pollution looks absolutely fantastic when observed from outer space.

I guess its really a matter of perspective. Depends on where you're viewing it from. See for yourself in the picture below.

http://www.visualpharm.com/wallpaper/earth_at_the_night_1024x768.jpg

[TheLastDon]

Look how bright Okinawa looks on that image.

[DougP]

Look how bright Okinawa looks on that image.

Its because everyone drives with their damn high beams on all the time. :thumbdown:

[DoctorP]

you can come to my house TLD...you can see the stars from there.

[dk]

They don't have lights in Canada. Just FYI.

[DougP]

They don't have lights in Canada. Just FYI.

Those are just candles... and all that light coming from the US is just turned over cars and local businesses on fire from all the rioting and looting. Damn hooligans. :D

[TheLastDon]

you can come to my house TLD...you can see the stars from there.

I would Doc but that whole swinger comment scares me. :D:rolleyes:

[DoctorP]

Those are just candles... and all that light coming from the US is just turned over cars and local businesses on fire from all the rioting and looting. Damn MARINES. :D

Fixed your statement for ya! :thumbup:

[Bones]

Look how bright Okinawa looks on that image.

Stop inviting everyone to come over to your place. Case solved.:D

Or that could be a shot taken of you, while trying to explore a new "Soapland" within a 1 hr. time frame.:grin1:

Or, not.:old::cool:

[EEWNASTY]

i think there is a big dim spot around my house in the states...country life rocks

[P_chan]

i think there is a big dim spot around my house in the states...country life rocks

Unless you like to do something besides ride around in your truck and shoot stuff:D:D:D

[paradox]

Here in Indiana my wife like going for drives late Fridays and Saturdays and stopping way out in the country and look at the sky. It is amazing how much of the stars are masked by light pollution in somewhat populated areas, but in big cities, you can barely see the north star sometimes...