Government Action Needed To Combat Light Pollution

Light pollution is a pressing issue that has harmful effects on wildlife, ecosystems, human health, and climate change. It is caused by the overuse or misuse of outdoor lighting, such as streetlights, car headlights, and office buildings, which disrupt the natural light levels in the environment. The adverse consequences of light pollution include the disruption of nocturnal behaviors in animals, interference with the circadian rhythms of daytime species, and a reduction in the number of stars visible in the night sky. To address this issue, governments can play a crucial role by implementing policies and regulations that promote responsible lighting practices. This may include establishing standards for lighting color and brightness, encouraging the use of energy-efficient and shielded lighting fixtures, and collaborating with communities and professionals to develop codes and statutes that reduce light pollution. Additionally, governments can support initiatives such as Dark Sky Hours and Dark Skies Towns and Cities, where lighting is dimmed or turned off during specific periods or in designated areas. By taking these steps, governments can help mitigate the negative impacts of light pollution and preserve the natural beauty of the night sky.

Implement green certifications for eco-friendly lighting

Governments can play a crucial role in mitigating light pollution, and one effective strategy is to implement green certifications for eco-friendly lighting solutions. Here are some ways in which this approach can be structured and executed:

Establish a Comprehensive Certification Framework:

The government can develop a comprehensive framework for certifying lighting products and solutions based on their environmental impact. This framework should encompass various aspects, such as energy efficiency, light distribution, and spectral properties. The criteria should be clearly defined and regularly updated to reflect technological advancements and scientific findings.

Collaborate with Industry Experts and Standard-Setting Organizations:

Partnering with organizations like the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) can provide valuable insights and expertise. These collaborations can help establish technical requirements, facilitate thought leadership, and offer tools and resources to manufacturers and industry stakeholders. Additionally, engaging with organizations that set industry standards can help ensure that eco-friendly lighting solutions are aligned with established practices and widely adopted.

Encourage Adoption through Incentives and Recognition:

Governments can play a catalytic role by offering incentives to manufacturers and distributors of eco-friendly lighting solutions. This can include tax breaks, subsidies, or preferential treatment in government procurement processes. Recognizing and showcasing companies that adopt these practices can also encourage wider adoption. For example, creating a directory or label that identifies certified products can help consumers make informed choices, promoting products with lower environmental impact.

Education and Outreach:

A critical aspect of promoting eco-friendly lighting is educating the public about the importance of reducing light pollution and the benefits of certified lighting solutions. This can be achieved through awareness campaigns, community engagement, and partnerships with non-profit organizations dedicated to dark sky preservation, such as DarkSky International. Educating planners, lighting designers, and end-users can also foster a more sustainable lighting culture.

Standardize Spectral Properties for Redder Lights:

As highlighted in the source material, one challenge in promoting eco-friendly lighting is the lack of standardized spectral properties for redder bulbs and fixtures. Governments can play a pivotal role in addressing this issue by working with manufacturers and industry experts to establish standardized CCTs (correlated color temperatures) for amber, orange, and red spectra. This will enable engineers to incorporate these less polluting lighting solutions into building plans more confidently.

Implement Regional Caps on Emissions:

In conjunction with green certifications, governments can explore implementing enforceable caps on light emissions at a regional level. This approach, known as the "red-lines strategy," involves defining quantifiable indicators of light pollution and setting limits for each region. It provides a clear path for enforcement if agreed-upon light limits are exceeded.

By implementing these strategies, governments can play a pivotal role in reducing light pollution, protecting ecosystems and wildlife, and improving the quality of life for citizens.

Create caps on emissions

Governments can play a crucial role in addressing light pollution by implementing caps on emissions. Here are four to six paragraphs elaborating on this strategy:

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Light pollution, caused by artificial lighting at night, has detrimental effects on human health, wildlife, and the environment. To mitigate these negative impacts, governments can implement caps on light emissions, setting limits on the amount of light that can be emitted into the environment. These caps can be established at the national, state, or regional level, as outlined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). By setting these limits, governments can incentivize the use of more eco-friendly lighting options and reduce the overall environmental footprint of lighting.

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The EPA's emissions trading programs are a great example of how caps on emissions can be implemented. These programs set a national or state cap on overall emissions and provide flexibility to emission sources like power plants by authorizing them to emit up to a certain amount of pollution through allowances. These allowances can be used, sold, or banked for future use. This approach not only ensures that emission reduction goals are achieved but also provides compliance flexibility and lowers compliance costs. Additionally, it encourages emission sources to reduce emissions beyond the cap so that they can sell or bank surplus allowances.

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To further enhance the effectiveness of caps on emissions, governments can implement dynamic budgets that periodically adjust the number of allowances. This ensures that the program remains aligned with evolving real-world conditions and scientific advancements. For instance, the EPA's Acid Rain Program allows emission sources to emit one ton of sulfur dioxide during an annual compliance period per allowance. By creating a balance between flexibility and stringent caps, governments can promote sustainable lighting practices without hindering economic growth.

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Another crucial aspect of successful emission caps is the involvement of various stakeholders. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dark Skies (APPG) in the UK provides an excellent example of this. The APPG, established to protect the UK's night sky, includes members from various fields, such as academics, astronomers, legal professionals, and lighting professionals. After consulting with these experts, the group proposed ten dark sky policies for the government, including strengthening planning laws for floodlighting, expanding the scope of planning permission for exterior lighting, and creating a Commission for Dark Skies to oversee compliance.

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In addition to caps on emissions, governments can also play a role in promoting public awareness and education about light pollution. For instance, the APPG's tenth policy recommendation involves working with schools and organizations to raise public awareness about light pollution. Educating the public about the impact of light pollution on human health, wildlife, and the environment can foster a sense of collective responsibility and encourage individuals, businesses, and communities to make more sustainable lighting choices.

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While implementing caps on emissions is a crucial step, it is essential to recognize that addressing light pollution requires a multi-faceted approach. Governments can also play a role in standardizing lighting products, particularly those that minimize light pollution. For example, the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) in the United States has developed LUNA, a list of technical requirements for outdoor LED fixtures that are energy-saving, bright, and minimally light-polluting. By providing manufacturers with guidelines and incentives to produce less-polluting LEDs, governments can encourage the widespread adoption of eco-friendly lighting options.

Standardise spectral properties for red and amber bulbs

Standardising the spectral properties of red and amber bulbs is a key step in tackling light pollution. Short-wavelength blueish-white lights are the biggest contributors to light pollution, and their use has proliferated since the early 2000s with the advent of cheap and energy-efficient LEDs.

Red and amber bulbs, on the other hand, emit longer-wavelength light, which is less disruptive to the environment. However, the spectral properties of these bulbs are not yet standardised across the industry. This makes it difficult for engineers and designers to incorporate them into lighting plans for hotels, offices, and streets.

To address this issue, Leora Radetsky, a senior lighting scientist at the DLC, published a study in January 2023. The study provided manufacturers with new nomenclature and standardised spectral properties for CCT numbers in the amber, orange, and red spectra. With these guidelines, manufacturers can now mass-produce these less-polluting lighting products.

The DLC's LUNA certification program also incentivises the adoption of environmentally friendly lighting design. LUNA is a list of technical requirements for outdoor LED fixtures that qualify as energy-saving, bright enough by industry standards, and minimally light-polluting. By achieving LUNA certification, manufacturers can increase the appeal of their products to green-minded clients, such as national parks.

By standardising the spectral properties of red and amber bulbs and providing incentives for their use, governments can play a crucial role in reducing light pollution.

Introduce formal restrictions on lighting

Light pollution is a pressing issue that threatens wildlife, human health, energy consumption, and our ability to see the stars. While there are some simple solutions, such as dimming or redirecting lights, implementing them on a large scale is challenging due to the lack of centralized governance. However, governments can play a crucial role in addressing light pollution by introducing formal restrictions on lighting.

One approach is to establish lighting ordinances that mandate the use of shielded light fixtures, intelligent timing controls, and improved technology, such as LED lighting. These ordinances can be enacted at the municipal level, with organizations like the Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council providing model lighting ordinances for reference. By enforcing these regulations, municipalities can ensure safe, aesthetically pleasing, and energy-efficient lighting while preserving views of the night sky and minimizing harm to species affected by artificial lighting.

At the national level, governments can propose and enact legislation to combat light pollution. For example, in the UK, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dark Skies (APPG) has put forth a 10-point plan that includes strengthening the National Planning Policy Framework, expanding the scope of planning permission for exterior lighting, and creating a Commission for Dark Skies to oversee compliance.

Additionally, governments can play a role in standardizing lighting technology to promote more eco-friendly options. For instance, the DesignLights Consortium's LUNA program provides a list of technical requirements for outdoor LED fixtures to be considered energy-saving, bright enough, and minimally light-polluting. By encouraging manufacturers to meet these standards, governments can incentivize the adoption of less-polluting LEDs.

Furthermore, governments can implement caps on light emissions at a regional level. This "red-lines" approach involves setting quantifiable indicators of light pollution for a specific area and then monitoring and enforcing light-emission limits for each town or region.

Overall, introducing formal restrictions on lighting through ordinances, legislation, standardization, and emission caps can significantly reduce light pollution and its negative impacts on the environment, human health, and our connection to the night sky.

Encourage the use of motion sensors, timers and dimmer switches

Light pollution is a pressing issue, and governments can play a pivotal role in mitigating its adverse effects. One effective strategy is to encourage the adoption of motion sensors, timers, and dimmer switches. These technologies offer a nuanced approach to lighting, ensuring illumination only when and where it is needed, thereby reducing light pollution and its ecological consequences.

Motion sensors are a pivotal tool in the fight against light pollution. By activating lights only when motion is detected, these sensors ensure that energy is not wasted on illuminating empty spaces. This not only reduces light pollution but also cuts down on energy consumption, saving costs and benefiting the environment. Motion sensors can be strategically placed in areas with varying levels of foot traffic, ensuring that lighting is tailored to the specific needs of each location.

Timers are another valuable tool in the arsenal against light pollution. By programming lights to turn on and off at specific times, timers ensure that illumination is provided only when needed. This is especially useful during the transition from daylight to darkness, when artificial lighting may not be necessary for a significant portion of the evening. Timers can be set to align with sunset and sunrise times, providing a natural rhythm to lighting that minimizes light pollution.

Dimmer switches offer a more flexible approach to lighting, allowing users to adjust the brightness of lights according to their needs and the ambient lighting conditions. This is particularly useful during twilight hours, when full illumination may not be required. By reducing the brightness of lights, dimmer switches can lessen the impact of light pollution on the environment and human health.

The combined use of motion sensors, timers, and dimmer switches can be a powerful strategy for reducing light pollution. By encouraging the adoption of these technologies through incentives, subsidies, or regulations, governments can play a pivotal role in minimizing light pollution and its detrimental effects on wildlife, human health, and energy consumption.

Furthermore, governments can lead by example by implementing these measures in public spaces, such as streets, parks, and government buildings. This not only reduces light pollution directly but also raises awareness and sets a standard for businesses and citizens to follow. Educational campaigns can also be launched to inform the public about the benefits of these technologies, empowering individuals to make choices that contribute to the collective effort against light pollution.

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