The Reality of Light Pollution
As years go by and light pollution continues to plague our atmosphere, we are losing our privilege to look into the night sky and see stars. Yes, light pollution is clouding our night sky and keeping us from enjoying; stars, constellations and the other treasures of the night sky. Little by little, stars that exist in the sky are disappearing from our sight. In all honesty this situation is very saddening, and just as certain species have suffered extinction, we are allowing our stars to become ‘extinct’. Meaning that though they may exist, we cannot see them or enjoy them, making them appear extinct.
(Example of Light Pollution)
Consequences of light pollution are not merely limited to being able to see the stars, they also include, large amounts of energy and money wasted on aimless lighting. We at Starry Night Lights understand that lights can be comforting, especially at night. We are not pushing to stop lighting at night, but rather we are pushing for effective and practical lighting. Meaning that lights on commercial buildings, billboards, shopping malls, car dealerships and empty parking lots- do not need to remain on at night with them serving no practical purpose! If one actually pays attention to this fact, one will realize that billions of dollars and energy are being spent for no sensible reason, while such money could be put into improving education or other practical purposes.
We are not picking a vain fight, its simple really- do not light what does not need to be lit! By doing so, we will all be saving money, energy and the beauty of the night sky. Think about it, what if you looked up into the night sky and you could not see the stars… how would you feel, would you not be disappointed that you had not taken time to have enjoyed them earlier? Would regret not taking the steps to keep the stars shining and visible?
If one is skeptical about these things, there is a little experiment that can be done to understand the extent of light pollution. Go into the city and try to see the stars, afterwards go into the country or a less lit area and then try to see the stars. It will then be clear, that light pollution does exist, and that it serves as a cloud hiding the beauty of the night and the dazzle of the stars.
This entry was posted on Saturday, February 23rd, 2008 at 10:03 pm and is filed under Astronomy, Light Pollution, Outdoor Lighting, Sky Glow, Starry Night Lights. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
3 Responses to “The Reality of Light Pollution”
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April 16th, 2008 at 8:05 am
I enjoyed this post. It is indeed difficult to see the night sky in the city. The farther you get from civilization, the clearer the sky gets.
I remember a night under the sky in Ladakh where I was just staring at the stars and the sky was so CROWDED with stars that it seemed full…… I don’t know if this makes sense, but its the only way of describing the sheer number of stars visible.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
It is views like you describe that lead to the creation of Starry Night Lights. I’ve stood in awe of the sky on more nights than I can remember. I wish more people could get to see the night sky the way its supposed to be… full of stars… instead of flooded in the orange glow of light pollution.
Anthony
April 27th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
great read, keep up the good fight!