Natwerk Designs

To all Spiritual people, how do you stop the constant increase of LIGHT POLLUTION?

Why do so many people out there, especially many business owners, use poorly designed out-door lighting that combines with everyone else's lights to wash out the view of the Universe, a view that is so awesome to be able to have and contemplate, which I believe would inspire humanity to do great things? Why do they so often use parking lot lights and security lights that wastefully let light shine horizontally to the sides and especially upwards into the sky where it washes out the view of the night sky? Why aren't all lights, including street lights shielded and/or designed so that all the light emitted is angled down to the ground where it is needed? It can even be a very wide angle just so long as it is below horizontal. This prevents light trespass and most light pollution. For example, how do I get the various shopping centers (Meijer, Lowe's, Menard's, Wal-Mart etc.) to stop using those horrible parking lot lights that clearly shine lots of light at a great angle into the sky, quite needlessly? From several miles away, clouds at night are a bright orange-white and the clear sky glows with light erasing the Cosmos from view. Also, how do I get the city to use street lights where the light element cannot shine directly to the side of the light and especially above it? It's getting ever harder these days to find places without light pollution. Even "dark" rural areas are experiencing ever strengthening light domes seen in the directions of cities. I have to drive for over an hour and fifteen minutes to the nearest "dark sky" site by where I live. Don't those who are in charge and putting these bad lights up have any idea of the magnificent things people are missing out on in this universe? Why should people have to travel from their home, be it in the city or elsewhere, to be able to see the stars? How many more scientists would our society have if more people were inspired by the greatness of a dark starry sky or how would today's culture, especially the young people so often preoccupied with all their technological gizmos, be effected if everyone, even in a city could see this magnificence regularly? Today we are privileged to a great wealth of knowledge about what the stars are, exoplanets, galaxies, nebulae and so on - something our ancestors lacked. Also, for a little extra cash, one can easily buy (or build) a powerful amateur astronomy telescope and imaging equipment that would totally have amazed Galileo and our ancestors beyond imagination - but most people of modern society will never see the true starry awesome Universe that our ancestors took for granted. This is a terrible thing and most don't even understand what they're missing out on, obviously including those who help to create light pollution. How do you get people to realize that intelligent, careful lighting practices should be a PRIORITY in their decision making in decreasing light pollution (for example, learn the excellent advice of the IDA or International Dark-Sky Association at www.darksky.org)? Maintaining the true starry sky is just like maintaining any other gift of Nature and it is everyone's birth right to be able to view and contemplate Nature in this grandest of ways. The awesome splendor of the starry sky is a deep part of our being.

Public Comments

1. A subject near and dear to me (I'm an astrophotographer)... Poor lighting is a waste of energy, and destructive to our environment. It's not just our view of the night sky that's ruined, poorly designed night lighting is also damaging to birds (especially) and other creatures we share the planet with. Smart lighting is safer than poor lighting, cheaper (because it's not wasteful, sending light where you don't need it like up into the air), and better for everyone. Thanks for pointing this out to people. Peace.
2. The light is still going to reflect and the general ambient light will still brighten the local skies. You have to go waaaay out in areas far away from any artificial lights to really see the night sky for what it really is. Angled lights just wouldn't cut it. Only place I've seen the Milky Way was out in the middle of undeveloped countryside in Kansas.