Understanding Street and Neighborhood Night Time Lighting

[Richard Pizzoferrato]

Here is a link to International Dark Sky Association -IDA-

There is a lot to know about night time lighting, your rights, its types, it's consequences, it's cost, and legislation that regulates night time lighting... and legislation that is forth coming.  My best advice is, understand this subject before coming to any conclusions.

Let me start by letting you know your eyes have two different seeing capabilities... Daylight Vision, with full color perception. and night time vision with limited color perception.. Night vision is basically shut off in normal daylight.  Night vision is very sensitive, more sensitive than day light vision, night vision allows you to see at night when light levels are very low and to see details in the shadows. Bright lights can shut off your night vision...  Artificially lighting up the night to daylight levels is unnatural and has many consequences.

There is a way to light up our streets and neighborhood at night that does not shut down our very sensitive and wonderful night vision. Such lighting contains very little blue light. You have all seen the bright yellowish sodium lights and the beautiful golden glow they give to the neighborhood.  Do not confuse brightness with strong blue light content. Remember, you once added bluing to your wash to make your clothes appear brighter.

Start here at this link and educate your self on night time lighting. Understanding the principles and physics and physiology of night time lighting is our best defense against... Night Time Lighting Gone Wild.

Bright lights at night not only shut down your night vision, -blinding you in the dark- they can/will disrupt the quality of your sleep. Bright lights at night can throw off your natural biological circadian rhythms. The depth and quality of your sleep can be disturbed with many negative consequences.... Heart repair happens every night while you are in the deepest levels of sleep, provided you are getting into the deepest levels of sleep... many are not because the quality of their sleep has been disrupted..

There is a sensible way to light our streets and homes and community that do not effect our night vision or the quality of our sleep...

Study the essays about "Light Trespass" and light choices on the IDA web site -below-

If you post a question I will try and answer it for you.

rich

http://darksky.org

[Richard Pizzoferrato]

AMA warnings about night lighting

AMA report findings.... confirming what I said about Lights and street lights.

Stay informed community.... if you have questions ask me.