Dark Sky Lighting is one of a few companies that offers ‘wildlife-friendly’ lighting, that points downwards (to avoid lighting up the entire sky) and uses orange-hue light (rather than blue light which disorientates bats and other creatures, and attract important insects that die en-masse). The company offers lighting design advice, along with lights (some solar-powered) for residential and commercial use.
To protect our night skies, be sure to report broken street lights. This helps birds (who sometimes wake up at night to start singing – turn off lights when not in use, use tasklights and close curtains to help stop birds flying into windows. Not lighting your entire house up at Christmas is another way to help.
Abroad, sea turtles are leaving the sea to ‘follow the moon’ and ending up laying their eggs in artificially-lit car parks. Our skies are now so ‘light-polluted’ that millions of people have never seen the Milky Way. Read Saving the Night to learn more about how to protect our night skies.
Also be careful not to go overboard at Christmas. Often houses that cover their walls and gardens with twinkling lights during the festive season, are not aware that this ‘seasonal light pollution’ can harm and disorientate local birds and wildlife, if done in excess. Read more on greener Christmas trees and lights.
concerns over Blackpool lighting plans
Although astronomers are aware that the Blackpool lights bring in substantial tourism income, they say that plans to create an an artificial ‘aurora borealis’ (northern lights) by way of a 1KW laser to shine in the sky, would not just blight the night sky, but ruin views across the county (and also for Merseyside, Cumbria, North Wales and even Isle of Man).
a sobering energy lesson from Las Vegas
Despite CSI suggesting this desert city is a cool place to live, the neon lights, gambling, casinos, golf courses, all-night chapels (where you can get married by someone looking like Elvis) and airports means this is the fastest-warming city in the US, with many dying from heatwaves (and no money to afford air conditioning). This is consumerism gone seriously wrong, as the city won’t turn off the lights. Las Vegas now has barely enough water for the next 20 years, triggering a ‘water war’ with Utah, due to drilling in Snake Valley. In England, locals in Blackpool are equally concerned at plans to build an ‘aurora borealis’ laser, which would blight the night sky and ruin views across Lancashire, Merseyside, Cumbria, North Wales and Isle of Man.
