There are not many areas in the United States which have not felt the negative effects of human tampering. Utah is home to some of the few areas which exist and fit this description. However the Bush Administration is pushing to sell some of these rare pieces land for oil and gas exploration. Unfortunately these areas are part of Utah’s redrock terrain, an area which has some of nature’s most magnificent masterpieces. Both American citizens and individuals from abroad, travel long and hard each year to behold the splendor of these cites. Many individuals may be tempted to view this action in light of possible economic development, however this sort of mentality could give way to grave mistakes. After all, any destruction that occurs cannot be easily rectified. As a result, these natural wonders must be protected at all costs.
The public areas which are for sale are very close to two famous natural parks. In addition, they are also home to some of the purest and darkest night skies to be found in the United States. If development were to take place in these areas, both the beautiful natural formations and the night sky, could be lost. This would be detrimental for the many ‘night-sky lovers’ who travel down to southern Utah to observe the many marvels of the night sky.
As a result of development, the night sky has been subject to varying degrees of light pollution, all of which have had a negative influence on the sky. Light pollution causes the night sky to appear hazy, making the stars and other elements of the night sky impossible to view. This is an effect which we should not allow to occur, for the sake of our generation and future generations.
With this information in mind, the significance of protecting this area cannot be over emphasized. It is not too late to stop this action, please take time to write to President-elect Obama in order to undo this disastrous action. By not doing so, we will all risk losing the natural beauty of this valuable land and the opportunity to partake of the best of America’s dark skies.
For more information on this topic please click here. In order to learn more about light pollution, recent environmental news and night sky friendly products, please feel free to explore our website at www.starrynightlights.com
This is a simple concept, but one that is overlooked time after time. Outdoor lighting should only be installed in places where it helps us to move about after dark. The use of outdoor lighting for ‘aesthetic’ purposes is simply a waste of energy. The lights in the accompanying video don’t even accomplish an aesthetic purpose. They were installed incorrectly and simply send light where it does not belong. The result is significant energy waste and additional light pollution. And, as even the facility manager knows that they serve no real purpose, have been left to shine in the strange directions shown here. If these lights were required to aid in night time navigation, they’d have certainly been adjusted long ago.
Here’s an image I often use when explaining the difference between sky friendly and just plain unfriendly outdoor lighting. Note that a full 50% of the light emitted (and energy consumed) by typical outdoor lights goes straight up into the night sky and never makes contact with the ground. This is the primary cause of light pollution. The next thing to notice is what is shown as the ‘glare zone’. This is light typically crosses property lines and shines into the neighbor windows. If you’re a bit closer to the fixture, this is light that shines into your eyes. Let me state for the record, ‘glare is never good’. Glare always reduces visibility
So, from the accompanying image, you can clearly see that typical, non-sky friendly outdoor lighting is very wasteful and only converts a small amount of the energy consumed into usable light. A mere 40% of the light emitted by this example fixture would actually illuminate the ground beneath it in a visually helpful way. 40%. The other 60% (the majority) is either completely wasted or actually decreases night time visibility. Why would anyone install such inefficient and ineffective lighting? There are many reasons, but I think the main reason is simply the way outdoor lighting is typically chosen. Looks. People choose their outood light fixtures based on how the fixture looks in day light. Almost no consideration is given to how the light fixtures will actually perform at night. This is a sad but true situation. The reason for this, is because though people have been using light their entire lives, most people know precious little about lighting and visibility (though they often think they’re experts).
It is not unusual to hear politicians or environmentalists speak of pollution, or the depletion of resources. Yet, there is one form of pollution which has not received much attention, this is light pollution. This does not mean that there are no organizations which have taken up the fight against light pollution, there are several, one of which is the organization ‘Need-less’ coming out of the United Kingdom. Need-less seeks to explain the impact of light pollution to everyday individuals, with a specific focus on those who are not astronomers and who may have never noticed sky glow, the orange hue that blankets the night sky.
According to the Need-less website (http://www.need-less.org.uk/), all individuals should care about light pollution, even those who do not spend much time looking into the night sky, this is because of the huge waste of energy which is caused by light pollution. This is because light pollution is the result of poorly lit outdoor lighting, which is directed aimlessly into the night sky and creates sky glow. Thus, light pollution is not only a harmful force on the night sky it is equally negative on resources, both natural and financial. Light pollution costs tax payers billions of dollars each year, also the energy needed to generate light pollution is a tremendous waste of valuable and depletable resources.
The Need-less organization gives three tips for individuals, in order to assist them in reducing light pollution:
-Keep outdoor lighting shining down towards the ground, instead of up into the night sky
-Use motion sensors wherever possible, in order to save energy
-Be wise when choosing outdoor light, light only where and when, light is needed
In addition to advising individuals on proper ways and forms of outdoor lighting, Need-less also deserves credit for its very creative way of drawing the attention of individuals who are unaware of the impact of light pollution. By having lighting which is “down to earth” Need-less creatively demonstrates the correct way to light outdoor areas. To check out the influential and creative efforts of Need-less, watch this animation that the organization has created about light pollution. It is certainly, animation to ‘light up for’: http://www.need-less.org.uk/images/need-less-animation.swf
The search for the perfect lighting for your home can be very difficult, how does one know which company will best suit them? When looking for the ideal lighting, one must take many things into consideration. These things include; design, finish, color, size, amount of light needed and price, of course. However there is one other important factor that should be considered when choosing lighting and that is the environmental impact, positive or negative, that your lighting can have the environment. Poor lighting, is not only bad for your eyes… it is bad for our environment.
First of all, both lighting fixtures and light bulbs can be either energy efficient or energy inefficient, it is important to know which category the lighting of your home falls in. This is because one will waste a great deal of energy and money, by choosing lighting that is not energy efficient. Thus, it is wise to be guaranteed energy efficient appliances, in order make sure that your lighting choice is your best choice.
Also, with regard to outdoor lighting, energy efficient and environmentally friendly lighting choices are particularly important. This is because when you light outside your home, your lighting choice is no longer only affecting you and the individuals living in your home. By choosing the wrong kind of outdoor lighting, one can become the least favored person of the neighborhood. Thus, when picking the lighting around your home, you must pick lighting that is ‘neighbor friendly’. In order to ensure that you are only lighting your areas, and to guarantee that no light is shining uninvited into the homes of your neighbors.
In addition, when choosing outdoor lighting one should choose lighting that is night sky friendly. This means that your lighting will not shine aimlessly into the night sky. One may wonder why this is important, without realizing that light which shines aimlessly into the night sky is known as light pollution. Light pollution causes the night sky to look very hazy, an effect which is known as sky glow. Light pollution, makes viewing the stars impossible and it clouds the sky in an unpleasant fog.
When taking all of these factors into consideration, it is important to choose a company that will provide you with all these benefits while remaining an appropriate financial option… this is why you should choose Starry Night Lights! Starry Night Lights is able to provide environmentally night sky friendly lighting, guaranteed to be energy efficient. In addition, color, design and finishing options are plentiful, allowing one to be guaranteed environmental benefits without having to compromise on specific tastes and desires. Allow Starry Night Lights to serve you, after all you’ll be in ‘good hands’ guaranteed!
Starry Night Lights is a company which understands the need and profit of alternative energy sources, such as solar energy. Thus, we have made it our goal to provide customers with information about the newest environmental news and improvements in green building. We specialize in providing night sky friendly outdoor lighting, which works to reduce light pollution, protect the night sky and save you money by lowering energy usage. Join in, in going green and do your wallet and the environment a favor.
Solar Energy, Brightening Energy Potential Around the Globe
Swiss teacher, Louis Palmer, has taken solar energy to an interesting but promising new level, by driving his “solartaxi” across the globe. Yes, Mr. Palmer has driven his solartaxi across Europe, the Middle East, India, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand and has recently begun his trip through North America. Mr. Palmer has crossed the globe and all without any drop of gasoline. According to Mr. Palmer “I have not paid a single cent for gasoline after driving two-thirds around the world so far!”
This is a very impressive feat and it brings hope to the world’s energy dilemma, reminding us that there are real solutions to our energy problem. The “solartaxi” is still not an appropriate solution for the transportation problem, this is because it costs more than $250,000, a cost that was covered by sponsors in the case of Mr. Palmer. Also, only 50% of the solartaxi’s energy came from the solar panels on the car, the rest came from an international power grid where Mr. Palmer is able to draw energy collected from the solar panels at his home in Switzerland.
At any rate, Mr. Palmer will be setting a record by the time he returns home to Switzerland, as the first non-fossil fuel driven car to cross the globe, on normal roads. Today’s hybrids are capable of reducing gasoline usage by 20% while the solar car is completely gas free, thus it appears to be the ideal candidate of transportation for our future.
‘Lighten Up’! In the same way that a positive attitude brightens a situation, adding lights to your home will great increase the brillance and beauty of your home. We at Starry Night Lights, realize what a difficult decision it can be to choose the lighting fixtures and designs of your home. Not only does one need to consider their own desires and tastes when choosing appropriate lighting, it is best if one also considers the energy efficiency level of the fixtures they buy. It is important, to understand that lighting greatly affects the environment and by making the right choices you can save yourself some money and the environment!
By buying your products at Starry Night Lights, you can be guaranteed both unique and energy efficient lighting structures. It is the goal of Starry Night Lights and its founder, Anthony Arrigo, to make night-friendly/environmentally friendly lighting available. It stems from Mr. Arrigo’s passion for the night sky and the protection of our environment.
LED: Individuals who use LEDs have the ability to have up to 90% in savings, compared to incandescent bulbs. LEDs are unique when compared to incandescent bulbs, in the way that almost all of their energy goes solely to lighting, while other incandescent bulbs lose a lot of energy in heat. Also, LEDs do not disperse their light in the same way that incandescent bulbs do, their light is far more directed. Thus, by using LEDs one has a greater ability to light more specific and direct areas.
Compact Fluorescent:
Or CFT, is a certain kind of fluorescent lamp, which is designed to give the same amount of light as an incandescent light, but will use less power and have a longer ‘life’. CFLs are typically more expensive than incandescent, but in the end the benefits out weigh the intial cost. According to the US standards, a CFL will save an individual up to $30, when compared to an incandescent bulb. In addition it can reduce greenhouse gases significantly, even saving up to 2000 times its own weight in emissions.
Let Starry Night Lights ‘light’ the way for you, as you choose your next lighting options for your home. We offer both indoor and outdoor lighting options, all of which are guaranteed to be environmentally/night friendly. Starry Night Lights products “use 1/2 the energy of non-sky friendly outdoor lighting” through “preventing light from shining up into the night sky”. This fact makes Starry Night Lights an excellent choice for all your lighting desires!
Why is it that city dwellers look up into the night sky and have a hard time seeing the stars? The answer is actually very simple- light pollution. Light pollution can be described as the brightening of the night sky, caused by large amounts of artificial outdoor lighting. In the case of light pollution, artificial light is frequently directed aimlessly into the night sky. Light pollution also includes light intrusion, which is the process by which light enters our homes from sources like a bright street light or such.
Light pollution comes from various sources, all of which involve poor lighting fixtures or unnecessary lighting. These sources include: street lamps and lighting, advertising and display lighting, commercial lighting, lighting for sports events and so forth. In any case, many forms of these various of lighting fixtures are typically bad because they allow light to shine upwards, rather than downwards.
How does light pollution affect us?
Light pollution has many effects on both mankind and wildlife, these effects include:
- unnecessary waste in money and energy
- death of migrating birds, who frequently collide with lighted buildings
- negative effects on bird’s behavior
- disrupt the habitats of plants which are dependent on light in their natural cycles
- death of insects who are drawn to the light
- choose outdoor lighting fixtures that shine downwards
- refrain from excessively lighting an area
- use motion sensors, so that lighting is only used when its needed
- buy energy efficient outdoor lighting products
- only light what needs to be lit
What is more inspiring than a dark night filled with sparkling stars? There’s just something magical about looking into the dark sky and seeing a sky packed with dazzeling stars, it is certainly breath taking. In all reality there is no real way to communicate how much stars effect us, and how much the inability to see them, really takes away from our ability to experience the night sky. The inabililty to see the stars at night is the result of light pollution, which can be described as the biggest enemy of the night sky.
Light pollution is harmful, just as other forms of pollution are harmful. Also, it is relatively unnecessary, the glow that light pollution causes in the night sky, known as sky glow is not needed. One could might argue that light pollution is a ‘necessary’ effect of progress, but this is not true. Light pollution comes from inefficient lighting sources, which shine light aimlessly into the night sky. These lights that shine into the sky do not increase nighttime safety or security. After all, lights that shine downward or where they are more appropriately needed are those which increase safety and security. In all reality these aimlessly shining lights, only increase glare and expenses, costing tens of billion of dollars each year in the United States alone.
Lessening light pollution is not impossible. On an individual level, one can choose to light ones home with efficient outdoor lighting systems, which do not shine up into the night sky. By lessening light pollution, one will save money while also reducing the glare and glow, seen in the night sky. It is important for us to keep our night sky dark, being able to see the stars is a privilege, one which we should not take so lightly.
It is important to pick appropriate lighting systems, when lighting your home inside and out. Night sky friendly outdoor lighting fixtures can be found at Starry Night Lights, our lights are guaranteed to be both energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
There are certain products that can be considered to be ‘life savers’ of the night sky. These products serve as excellent ways to light your home, while also protecting the night sky and in turn your wallet as well. It is important to understand how the products you buy to light your home effect the environment and your energy bill. By choosing the best form of lighting to light your home you will be doing the environment and your wallet, a favor. Here are some products which are effective and environmentally friendly:
- Full Cut Off Fixtures: These fixtures serve as excellent light sources, they are designed to contain and direct all light downwards. They are made with a reflector inside the fixture, in order to best control the light output. This design helps ensure that no light shines upward this will in turn lessen glare. In commercial applications, these fixtures are typically seen as high-pressure sodium lights or as metal halide lamps. In residential use, these would typically have incandescent or compact fluorescent lamps… though LED’s are also starting to enter the picture. All but the incandescents would be considered energy efficient.
- Motion Sensor Lights: The beauty of these kinds of lighting fixtures is that they only come on when they are detected and needed, for the remainer of the time they remain off. It is only when the infrared sensor senses the motion of people or other large objects, when it will come on. They will come on for a few minutes and when motion is no longer detected, they will go turn off. They are benefical because they do not waste light or energy, and they also warn of potential danger when it is approaching your home.
- Timer Controlled Lighting: These kinds of fixtures are similar to Motion Sensor Lights, they are another way to conserve energy and light. In many cases outdoor lighting is only needed for certain periods of time, in these cases Timer Controlled Lighting can truly save a great deal of money. This form of lighting would be ideal for parking lots, certain advertising lighting, decorative lighting and so forth, after all these lighting needs are typically for only designated periods of time.
- Glare Free Lighting: Choosing lighting without glare is very important. Glare will never help in clarity and visibility.
- Energy Efficient Lamps: These fixtures are of course most useful because they help save energy, by replacing inefficient energy lamps with better energy efficient lamps one is both, saving money and helping the environment. It would be a wise decision to only use energy efficient lamps when lighting ones home.
Choosing the lighting systems and products of your home, is a tough decision. However by picking energy efficient environmentally friendly lighting you can flip on the lights with a clear conscience. There are a lot of different options to choose from, in addition there are many styles and patterns to pick from as well. Thus, one can choose environmentally safe lighting while not having to sacrifice on style or design.
For more energy efficient environmentally friendly lighting check out the lighting produces found on Starry Night Light’s online store.
Here’s an image I often use when explaining the difference between sky friendly and just plain unfriendly outdoor lighting. Note that a full 50% of the light emitted (and energy consumed) by typical outdoor lights goes straight up into the night sky and never makes contact with the ground. This is the primary cause of 
