What is Light Pollution
Light Pollution can be described as the spill of unwanted light from light fixtures (street lights, floodlights and the like). Light spill (pollution) can be seen either in the night sky, typically as an orange sky glow over our towns and cities, or as glare and unwanted illumination from badly directed or excessively bright lights as seen on other properties.
Although it was astronomers who first 'blew the whistle' on light pollution in the late 1980s, it is now accepted that many people are affected by the detrimental effects of poor quality, badly directed lighting.
Light pollution, frequently complained about by non-astronomers, ranges from floodlighting that spills across one's property and pours into houses and bedrooms at night, to illuminated advertising signs, spoiling night-time views which it is now suggested disturbs the natural rhythms of animals and plants. Details can be found at Herts. Biological Records Centre (Alan Outen) on the subject of wildlife and artificial light.
Such is the concern about the detrimental effects of lighting on our environment that many organisations are now supporting the campaign to rid our night-time environment of the worst excesses of poor quality lighting. These organisations include:
Continued on next page
|
