The growing problem of light pollution

There's a type of environmental pollution that doesn't get much press. Light pollution. It doesn't affect our climate, but it does affect our ability to be inspired as human beings.

If you live in a medium to large city, here's a simple test to see if you're suffering from the effects of light pollution. Wait for a perfectly clear night, during a new moon (i.e. when the moon isn't there during the night time). Give your eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness, then look straight up. If your jaw doesn't drop from the sheer impossibility of quantifying everything you see above you, your city is probably suffering from the effects of light pollution.

The problem is an ever-increasing number of city lights, illuminating the atmosphere and drowning out the stars. Fifty years ago, people looked into the night sky and were captivated by the scale of the universe, and the thought of a new frontier to explore. Today, people look into the night sky and see a dozen pinpricks of light against an ugly background glow.

What you can do

• If your home or business has outside lighting, make sure the lights get turned off some time before midnight (leaving them on late at night is a waste of energy anyway. There's nobody around to admire your lights).
• For security lighting, install a passive-infrared (PIR) sensor to leave the lights off until movement is detected. (These are relatively cheap nowdays, and will save you money.)
• For lights that are off the ground (such as porch lighting), use light fittings or globes that direct light in a downward cone, not in all directions. Light that goes straight out horizontally or diagonally up is wasted light that only contributes to light pollution.
• Use warm lamp colours, the warmer (redder) the better. The added advantage is that warm colours like yellow don't attract mosquitoes like cooler (pure white or slightly bluish) light does. Consider switching to warm LED globes. These use very little power (around 5W), are free of toxic mercury, and will save you money in running costs. (Although some retailers charge a fortune for LED globes, they can be purchased for around $3.50 each on eBay.)
• If you have in-ground lights, the type that direct an (often invisible) beam of light straight up into the air, save them for foggy nights (the only time they really look impressive), or turn them off after dusk.