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What Is It?

Light Pollution: How Seeing the Stars will Save You Money and possibly save your life if you are female Dr. Harold Williams Montgomery College Planetarium located at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departmennts/planet. What Is It? . The Night Around Us.

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What Is It?

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  1. Light Pollution: How Seeing the Stars will Save You Moneyand possibly save your life if you are femaleDr. Harold WilliamsMontgomery College Planetariumlocated at the Takoma Park/Silver SpringCampus http://montgomerycollege.edu/Departmennts/planet International Dark-Sky Association

  2. What Is It? • The Night Around Us. • Our Communities. • The Night Above Us. Dark skies. International Dark-Sky Association

  3. The Bottom Line on “Why” • For a functional, comfortable, and beautiful nighttime environment. • For an environment friendly to: • humans, including the aging eye, • wildlife, • plants, • the night sky. International Dark-Sky Association

  4. Where to light and when? • Only where it is needed. • Avoid obtrusive light. • No wasted light or energy. • Only when needed. International Dark-Sky Association

  5. How much light? • The myth of The More the Better. • Use IESNA or CIE recommended levels. • Environmental lighting zones. • Consider the location where you are. • Use good transition lighting. International Dark-Sky Association

  6. North America at Night International Dark-Sky Association

  7. Poor security lighting, using an old fashion 175 watt mercury fixture International Dark-Sky Association

  8. Almost a definition of light trespass, at an installation in San Francisco, but could be in Silver Spring. International Dark-Sky Association

  9. Glare from a walkway light. International Dark-Sky Association

  10. Glare, luminance overload, bad transition lighting International Dark-Sky Association

  11. Why so much bad lighting ? • Lack of awareness. • Even in the lighting community. • Builders, contractors, owners, operators. • The public. Governmental staff. • Apathy, or inertia. International Dark-Sky Association

  12. Keys to Quality Lighting See the effect, not the source. Shine the light down. No glare! Light only where and when needed. Don’t over light. Use energy efficient sources. International Dark-Sky Association

  13. Use of a full cut-off fixture for a parking lot International Dark-Sky Association

  14. A good antique (or period lighting) fixture, full cut-off International Dark-Sky Association

  15. Here is another good example, using lighting fixtures with good control of the light output. International Dark-Sky Association

  16. So … • It works, right? It’s common sense. • Use only good lighting! • Let’s fix the bad stuff! • Educate everyone; build allies. International Dark-Sky Association

  17. Your Sixth Sense! • Melanopsin • Suprachiasmatic nucleus • Pineal gland • Melatonin

  18. Melatonin C13H16N2O2

  19. Eye

  20. Some demographic evidence • Artificial lighting in the industrialized world: circadian disruption and breast cancer by Richard G. Stevens in Cancer Causes Control (2006) 17:501–507 • LIGHT AT NIGHT CO-DISTRIBUTES WITH INCIDENT BREAST BUT NOT LUNG CANCER IN THE FEMALE POPULATION OF ISRAEL in Chronobiology International, 25(1): 65–81, (2008) by Itai Kloog, Abraham Haim, Richard G. Stevens, Micha Barchana, and Boris A. Port

  21. Some Other Issues • Visibility • Safety and security • The aging and disabled eye • Human health, and animals and plants. • Energy • We all win! International Dark-Sky Association

  22. IDA • The International Dark-Sky Association • Newsletter. • Information sheets. Images. Slides. • CD’s, videos, and so on. • Web site: www.darksky.org • Join IDA ! We need you. International Dark-Sky Association

  23. IDA’s Goals • To preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark-skies through quality outdoor lighting. • Membership based. Over 10,000 members, from all the states and 70 other countries. 500 organizations. International Dark-Sky Association

  24. International Dark-Sky Association • 3225 N First Avenue • Tucson AZ 85719 USA • 520-293-3198 Fax: 520-293-3192 • ida@darksky.org • www.darksky.org International Dark-Sky Association

  25. Recent State of Maryland movement for good environmentally responsible lighting • Maryland General Assembly Roadway Lighting Bill HB816 new (very good legislation). The honorable Alfred Carr email who introduced this house bill. State Senator Jenny Forehand has introduced a companion bill in the Maryland Senate: SB891 (some more information on this bill, too). • Maryland Outdoor Lighting Task Force Report from 2001 Maryland Outdoor Lighting Task force report.

  26. Some good local Montgomery County lighting laws that have not passed yet • Outdoor Lighting Standards Established Bill No. 4-07.pdf, not yet passed as far as I can see. • Zoning Text Amendment in Montgomery County 07-01.pdf, not yet passed as far as I can see. • How come? If you can find out please tell me!

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