Light Pollution: Practical Steps To Take Action

Light pollution is a type of pollution that doesn't get talked about much, but it impacts vast sections of the world. It is caused by bad lighting designs that allow light to shine outward and upward instead of focusing it downward. Luckily, there are many ways to reduce light pollution, from using LEDs and compact fluorescents to opting for warm-coloured lights with a reduced blue spectrum.

Raise awareness about the impacts of light pollution

Raising awareness about the impacts of light pollution is an important step in tackling this issue. Many people don't know about or understand light pollution, so educating others about its effects and how to reduce it can help to gain support for light pollution reduction initiatives.

Light pollution is an excess of outdoor light at night, mainly caused by poor lighting design that allows light to shine outward and upward instead of focusing downward. It has a significant impact on our communities and ecosystems, with 80% of the world's population unable to see the Milky Way in their backyard due to community light pollution.

To raise awareness, you can share information about the negative effects of light pollution, such as its impact on wildlife (white and blue lights affect wildlife more than warmer colours) and its contribution to energy waste. You can also educate people about simple actions they can take to reduce light pollution, like using LEDs and compact fluorescents (CFLs) with warm-coloured bulbs, and incorporating dimmers, motion sensors, and timers to reduce average illumination levels and save energy.

Additionally, you can encourage people to maintain their lighting fixtures. Wind, storms, and pole damage can knock lighting out of alignment, leading to uneven or misdirected light. By ensuring fixtures are properly aligned and shielded, light can be directed downward, reducing upward light pollution.

By spreading knowledge about light pollution and providing practical solutions, you can help create a broader understanding of this issue and empower people to make a difference in their communities.

Turn off non-essential lights

Turning off non-essential lights is one of the easiest ways to reduce light pollution. Light pollution is caused by an excess of outdoor light at night, which shines outward and upward instead of focusing downward. By turning off non-essential lights, you can help reduce the amount of light that escapes into the night sky.

One way to identify non-essential lights is to consider whether the light is necessary for the area it illuminates. For example, if a light is only used occasionally, it may be non-essential and could be turned off when not in use. You could also consider using timers or motion sensors to automatically turn off lights when they are not needed.

Another way to reduce light pollution is to choose the right type of light bulbs. LEDs and compact fluorescents (CFLs) can help reduce energy use and protect the environment, but only warm-coloured bulbs should be used. White and blue lights affect wildlife more than warmer colours, so opting for bulbs with a reduced blue spectrum can help reduce light pollution.

In addition to choosing the right bulbs, you can also reduce light pollution by using dimmers and fixtures that are designed to control light pollution. Dimmers allow you to adjust the illumination level, while fixtures with the DarkSky Fixture Seal of Approval are specifically designed to reduce light trespass and direct light downward. By using these tools, you can reduce the amount of light that escapes into the night sky and contribute to reducing light pollution.

Finally, maintaining your light fixtures is important to reduce light pollution. Wind, storms, and pole damage can knock lighting out of alignment, leading to uneven or misdirected light. By regularly checking and maintaining your fixtures, you can ensure that light is directed downward and reduce the amount of light pollution escaping into the night sky.

Maintain your fixtures

Light pollution is a type of pollution that doesn't get talked about much, but it impacts vast sections of the world. It is mainly caused by bad lighting designs that allow light to shine outward and upward instead of focusing it downward.

Wind, storms, and pole damage can knock lighting out of alignment, leading to uneven or misdirected light. You can maintain your fixtures by ensuring that non-essential lights are turned off when not in use. You can also look for fixtures approved to control light pollution, such as products that get the DarkSky Fixture Seal of Approval.

For areas where light is necessary, determine when these spots are used most often and incorporate timers, motion sensors, or dimmers into the fixtures. Dimmable light fixtures allow adjustable illumination in areas. You can also opt for warm-coloured lights with a reduced blue spectrum. White and blue lights affect wildlife more than warmer colours.

Use warm-coloured bulbs

Light pollution is an excess of outdoor light at night created by artificial sources. It is mainly caused by bad lighting designs that allow light to shine outward and upward instead of focusing downward.

One way to reduce light pollution is to use warm-coloured bulbs. LEDs and compact fluorescents (CFLs) can help reduce energy use and protect the environment, but only warm-coloured bulbs should be used. White and blue lights affect wildlife more than warmer colours.

Dimmers, motion sensors, and timers can help to reduce average illumination levels and save even more energy. For example, you can use timers to ensure that non-essential lights are turned off when not in use. You can also look for fixtures approved to control light pollution, such as products that get the DarkSky Fixture Seal of Approval.

When choosing a warm-coloured bulb, determine the least amount of wattage needed to provide adequate lighting. Dimmable light fixtures allow adjustable illumination in areas.

Use dimmers, motion sensors and timers

Dimmers, motion sensors and timers can help to reduce average illumination levels and save energy. These tools can be used to reduce light pollution by ensuring that lights are only on when necessary.

Dimmers allow you to adjust the level of illumination in an area. This can be useful in areas where the full brightness of a light is not always needed. For example, you could use a dimmer to reduce the brightness of a light in a room when watching a film, or when you are getting ready for bed.

Motion sensors can be used to ensure that lights are only on when someone is in the room. This can be useful in areas such as hallways, staircases, and bathrooms, where lights are often left on accidentally.

Timers can be used to ensure that lights are only on during certain times of the day. For example, you could set a timer to turn off the lights in your house at midnight, or to turn on the lights in your office at 8 am. This can be useful if you often forget to turn off the lights when you leave a room, or if you want to ensure that lights are on for security reasons during certain times of the day.

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