PreserveOurSkies.org is a grass-roots organization that has taken the lead in fighting light pollution, the most visible of environmental concerns facing Indiana residents. Light pollution is not only a nuisance but a genuine health concern that can affect everything from human sleep patterns to wild animal behavior.
Increasingly, local governments and businesses are improperly installing outdoor lights that are either too bright for the area, poorly shielded or simply unnecessary. Failure to properly shield a light can cause "light trespass" which means light extends beyond it's intended boundary onto the property of others. Everyone can understand the benefit of placing a shade on a table lamp to prevent the light from shining into our eyes, but why do many business owners fail to comprehend that outdoor lighting is no different?
The American Medical Association supports efforts to curb light pollution and says, "streetlight glare causes decreased nighttime visibility ...many older citizens are significantly affected by glare as the eye ages, leading to unsafe driving conditions". They added, "our AMA support efforts to ensure all future streetlights be of a fully shielded design or similar non-glare design to improve safety of our roadways for all..."
Consider these light pollution facts:
• Sleep patterns are easily disrupted which causes increased stress levels and contribute to existing health problems such as obesity and sleep disorders.
• Bright and unshielded lights are a safety hazard to motorists especially on wet or icy evenings when the glare is substantially increased.
• Bright lights actually decrease night vision, especially in the elderly who's eyes take longer to readjust after being exposed to glare.
• Property values are lowered if potential home-buyers consider an area less desirable because of overbearing lighting.
• The flight patterns of migratory birds are disrupted as well as the sleep patterns of nocturnal animals. Bright lights in rural areas can cause disorientation in deer casing them to wander onto roadways and injure or kill motorists.
• Lights that are brighter than necessary waste precious energy resources and contribute to unnecessary carbon emissions.
• Shielding light fixtures to aim the light downward actually makes the intended surface brighter while cutting off misdirected glare.
Preserve Our Skies was created after neighbors of Main and Davis funeral home in New Castle, Indiana were frustrated by the lack of action in shielding a nuisance light they identified. The local REMC was also notified but failed to satisfy the neighbor's complaint. A Preserve Our Skies member commented, "the more people I spoke to about this issue, the more I realized how many others in the community are affected".
PreserveOurSkies.org is free to join and is the starting point for those interested in helping end light pollution in Indiana. www.preserveourskies.org
