By Chris Clark and Betsy York

[from the Commercial Record, April 28, 2022]

For the past six weeks, you have been reading about light pollution and all of its negative consequences. Well, the problem is spreading twice as fast as the population is growing; it now affects 83% of our planet!

The situation may seem hopeless, but it’s not. The solutions to many other environmental problems require global solutions,, but we can fix light pollution on a local scale. You can see the proof in Flagstaff, Arizona, which has been a pioneer in this area.

The best place to start fighting light pollution is at home. Walk around your house or business after dark and see which lights are on. Do you need all of them? Burglary is not a major problem where we live, so your house is pretty safe. If you decide to keep a few lights, put them on a timer or motion sensor.

Go to tinyurl.com/22darksky for a copy of the “Dark Sky Friendly Home Lighting Program” booklet. It will help you evaluate your outdoor lighting. When you’re ready to make changes, you can find low-wattage warm LED bulbs and dark-sky-friendly outdoor fixtures at Lowes or Home Depot. Tower Harbor Condominiums in Douglas converted their outdoor lighting a couple of years ago and the residents love the new look!

This is International Dark Sky Week; its goal is to raise awareness of light pollution. Douglas and Saugatuck Township passed resolutions recognizing the event, and several activities are taking place. You can find a schedule and resources at ducc-cjt.com/dark-sky.

Let your city or town government know you are concerned about light pollution. Perhaps make them aware of a blatant example of light trespass or dangerous glare. Saugatuck Township has a lighting ordinance. If you live elsewhere, let your council or board know that you want them to follow suit.

You can even become a citizen scientist! In the “Globe at Night” project, everyday people use a phone to measure the brightness of the night sky. This week, during the new moon, thousands of folks will observe the constellation Leo and send data to a federally funded astronomy center. It’s not too late; join how at globeatnight.org.

“Globe at Night” participants compare their night sky to images like these

For an added dose of encouragement, why not make an overnight visit to Headlands International Dark Sky Park, five miles from the bridge in Mackinaw City?

There are many ways to combat light pollution and in most cases the results are visible immediately. Let’s all do what we can to preserve the night sky for all of our children and grandchildren.

Dark Sky Action Item 6: Become a member of the International Dark-Sky Association and support their vital work. Visit www.darksky.org.

By Brad Hopkins and Chris Clark

[from the Commercial Record, April 21, 2022]

Lighting that is too bright or shines when and where it’s not needed is wasteful, and energy waste has huge consequences for our economy and the environment.

The amount of energy our country uses in one year to light streets and parking lots could provide all the electricity that New York City needs for TWO years!

The International Dark Sky Association estimates that 35 percent of outdoor lighting in the U.S. is unnecessary. That translates into $3.3 billion of wasted money and the release of 21 million tons of carbon dioxide per year! To offset all that carbon dioxide, we’d have to plant 875 million trees annually. 

In order to be good stewards of both our environment and also our economy, we need to reduce outdoor lighting. We can install more efficient bulbs that cut energy use by 60-70 percent. Outdoor fixtures can be shielded and direct light down, not into the sky. This type of lighting will provide the same level of light on the ground, but use less energy and cost much less.

Another thing we can do is turn off indoor lighting at businesses and office buildings during the night. Dimmers, motion sensors, and timers can also reduce the amount of energy we waste. Good lighting design reduces energy use and carbon emissions. It also saves money and allows us to enjoy the night sky. 

Recent changes in LED lighting technology have caused many cities and towns across the nation to start replacing older street lighting with newer, more energy-efficient bulbs. Some cities, however,  are using the money they save on electricity to buy more lighting.  

A research study is currently underway, looking at which color of LED lighting helps people see moving objects more clearly at night. The results could help lead to a safer nighttime environment for both drivers and pedestrians.

There’s little debate that LED bulbs are the way to go

One of the most important questions is whether use of LED lighting will result in a lower carbon footprint, which would be wonderful for the environment. The answer depends on how much light is used. LEDs use less electricity, but they will only reduce energy consumption if we use them to produce the same amount of light or LESS than before.

 Many people are becoming concerned about light pollution and want to know what they can do to make a difference in their community. Beyond fixing your own lighting, one thing you can do is work to get an outdoor lighting ordinance adopted in your community. This would be a great tool for helping your city or town implement good, safe outdoor lighting — not to mention saving money. 

Dark Sky Action Item 6: Plan to attend one of the events during Dark Sky Week in our community.

Next week: “We Can Reverse Light Pollution”

By Brad Hopkins and Chris Clark

[from the Commercial Record, April 14, 2022]

Light pollution has a negative effect on human health. It interrupts our 24-hour clock and causes sleep disorders as well as other health issues. 

The human day/night cycle, known as the circadian clock, affects how our bodies work. Among other things it affects brain wave patterns and the production of melatonin. Interrupting this natural rhythm can cause sleeplessness, depression, cancer, and heart disease. In 2012,  the American Medical Association recognized that artificial light at night may cause some types of cancer and is a general health risk. 

Melatonin is made by the body and released during periods of darkness. It serves several purposes, but primarily controls the daily cycles within our body. Artificial light at night can interrupt the release of melatonin. Reducing the amount of light can help you keep a normal melatonin rhythm. Short wavelengths of light – the blue portion of the spectrum – are the primary culprits affecting melatonin levels. That’s a great reason to use “warm” light bulbs.

Extending our waking hours by using artificial light also throws off the internal clock. This particularly affects night shift workers. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), interrupting the circadian rhythm affects our ability to go to sleep and wake up at regular times. It can also lead to decreases in decision-making ability, understanding new information, and learning. A recent study in Spain showed that cancer risk is connected to increased exposure to artificial light at night; women had 1.5 times higher risk of developing breast cancer and men had 2 times higher risk of developing prostate cancer. 

The NIH believes people function best when they sleep at night and act in the daytime. If outdoor light is shining into your window and disrupting your sleep, find a way to block that light. A good night’s sleep can help decrease weight gain, stress, and depression.

Dark Sky Action Item 5: Do you like to read books after dark? Make sure that the light bulb you’re using has a warm temperature rating (300K or less).

Next week: “Ineffective Lighting is Wasteful”

By Brad Hopkins and Chris Clark

[from the Commercial Record, April 7, 2022]

There is no clear evidence that using more outdoor lighting leads to less crime. It may make us feel safer, but we are probably not really safer. The truth is that bad outdoor lighting can decrease safety by making victims and property easier to see. A recent study showed that in one place crime actually increased after it was more brightly lit.

Dark-sky-friendly lighting does not necessarily mean dark ground. The goal is to direct lighting where it’s needed. We want outdoor lighting to increase safety and security at night and help us see clearly, but lights that are too bright can have the opposite effect. The glare from bright lights can make things less safe. Glare shines into our eyes and constricts our pupils, making it more difficult for our eyes to adjust to low-light conditions. It can even temporarily blind us.

Below, at left, glare keeps us from seeing who’s at the gate (photos by George Fleenor)

On streets and highways, poor lighting can create unsafe driving conditions and lead to traffic accidents. Many people are temporarily blinded by glare from streetlights and signs that are too bright, and this is even more of a problem for older folks. A study published in 2015 found that streetlights in one city didn’t prevent accidents or crime, but they did cost a lot of money. The City of Tucson experimented with reducing street light brightness by two-thirds. The changes made for less glare and they were barely noticed. The city received no comments or complaints and there was no negative effect on public safety. 

Cities and businesses often light parking lots and other public places to improve safety. However, lighting that is too bright or poorly aimed can actually attract criminals and allow them to more clearly see what they’re doing. Overly bright lighting creates a sharp contrast between light and dark. A spot outside of the area that’s lit can be very difficult to see, if not impossible.

Effective lighting helps people be safe, not just feel safe. We can have a safe environment and keep the night natural. Cities and towns should regulate the types of lighting they use. Here are some simple guidelines:

• Have fully shielded fixtures shine down, eliminating glare and contrasts.
• Only use lights when and where needed; timers and dimmers help a great deal.
• When installing security lighting, use motion sensors.
• Use low-wattage bulbs. Too much light impairs vision and wastes money.

Dark Sky Action Item 4: Drive around your town at night and pay attention to the street lights. Do they shine in your eyes? Would they be just as helpful if they were shielded?

Next week: “Nighttime Lights Threaten Human Health”

By Chris Clark, Brad Hopkins, and Betsy York

[from the Commercial Record, March 31, 2022]

Light pollution kills millions of birds every year because artificial lights disrupt their migration “calendar.”  The light causes the birds to start out too early or too late, thereby missing the best conditions for nesting. Birds that navigate by moonlight and starlight are distracted by bright lights in urban areas. They wander off course and many die, colliding into buildings that didn’t need to be lit up in the first place. Other confused birds fly around the city until they drop to the ground, dead. You don’t have to be a bird lover to understand that our planet needs these frequent flyers to distribute seeds and control pests.

Trees exposed to artificial light at night bud earlier, lose their leaves later, and have shorter lifespans. Plants depend on the natural cycle of day and night. Too much exposure to artificial light at night keeps the trees from adjusting to the change of seasons. Notice how the leaves on the  left side of the tree in the photo —near the streetlight— have not fallen. This disruption, in turn, has implications for wildlife that depend on trees for habitat.

As soon as certain types of turtles hatch on the beach they must find the ocean. It should be the brightest thing they see, reflecting the moon and stars in the night sky. Unfortunately, artificial lights confuse the hatchlings and many don’t make it to the ocean. Hundreds of thousands die annually — a fact that, once again, has an impact on the ecosystem. Turtles help control the jellyfish population and keep seagrass beds healthy. Their leavings are an important source of food for coastal vegetation, and hatchlings are a source of food for fish.

This is a very limited peek at the long list of wildlife known to be affected by light pollution. A few others include coral, butterflies, fish, and geckos.

Dark Sky Action Item 3: Does your porch light attract bugs? The bluish-white color of a typical light bulb is easy for them to see, plus insects are attracted to brightness and heat. Try a lower-wattage LED “bug light” with a 2000K color rating. It’s not as bright, emits less heat, and is harder for bugs to see. A shielded light fixture will also help.

By Chris Clark, Brad Hopkins, and Betsy York

(Appeared in the Commercial Record on March 24, 2022)

Most places have laws that protect citizens from disturbingly loud noise. If you have politely asked your neighbor to keep the noise down but their pool party is still keeping you awake at two o’clock in the morning, then they are illegally “disturbing the peace.” You can call the authorities or file a formal complaint.

What happens when your peace is disturbed by too much light? “Light trespass” happens when unwanted light shines into your property from a source beyond your property line. If the spotlight over your neighbor’s garage shines through your bedroom window all night long, that’s light trespass. It’s probably not illegal where you live.

If you are experiencing light trespass, assume that your neighbor doesn’t realize that their light is causing a problem. Approach the situation politely and positively. Suggest a solution, such as using a shield to block some of the light. Offer to help aim the light so that it’s more effective. Let them know that they could save money by adding a timer or a motion detector that turns on the light only when it’s needed.

Outdoor lighting can disturb the night in another way. Many people find it peaceful to gaze at the stars and planets, with or without a telescope. Unfortunately, most outdoor light fixtures don’t have adequate shielding, so much of their light goes up into the atmosphere. This reduces the natural darkness of the sky and makes it harder to see heavenly objects. This phenomenon is called “skyglow.”

How bad is skyglow? Well, the average person ought to be able to see about 5,000 stars at night without a telescope, but the Adler Planetarium says that people in Chicago can see fewer than 50! Visitors who come to Saugatuck from Chicago probably like being able to see stars in the sky. It’s a good thing we don’t have too much skyglow in Saugatuck … yet.

The images above show how light pollution has increased locally over the past ten years. If we continue adding unshielded outdoor lights to our homes and making our street lights brighter, it won’t be long before our sky is as bright as Chicago’s. In our area, only Saugatuck Township has an ordinance that addresses issues like light trespass and skyglow. Dark Sky Week (April 22-28) is the perfect time to encourage your city or township to adopt a lighting ordinance.

Dark Sky Action Item 2: Does YOUR outdoor light shine into the sky or onto your neighbor’s property? If so, maybe you can remove it, shield it, or aim it differently.

To ask questions or learn more, visit ducc-cjt.com/dark-sky

(Appeared in the Commercial Record on March 17, 2022)

Not long ago, anyone could look up at night and see thousands of stars. Today, artificial lighting has made the night sky too bright for us to see very many stars; only one in five Americans can see the Milky Way from their home.

For millions of years, the sun, moon, and stars were our only source of nighttime light. Now, electric lights have conquered the darkness. Cities glow at night and our daily biological clocks are increasingly out of whack. Light pollution affects all of us, disturbing the environment, wasting energy, threatening health, and creating unsafe conditions. 

Light pollution happens when artificial outdoor lighting ends up in the wrong place or there is too much of it. It’s easy to find examples: a residential floodlight that keeps neighbors awake, a gas station that’s brighter at night than during the day, lights over an empty parking lot blazing at three in the morning, or poorly-aimed street lights that blind drivers. The fact is that most outdoor lighting is neither efficient nor effective. Millions of budget dollars and tons of scarce energy resources are wasted every year due to poorly designed outdoor lighting.

More and more people are becoming aware of light pollution and its negative effects. An organization known as The International Dark-Sky Association is working to protect our nighttime environment. It’s their goal to educate the public on the effects of light pollution and help cities and towns enact ordinances and policies that improve the use of lighting. For more information, visit the darksky.org website and watch a video, browse information on lighting, sign up for a citizen science project, or read through a model ordinance.

The really good news is that light pollution is an easy problem to solve. A growing number of scientists, environmental groups, and local governments are working hard to restore our naturally dark nights. Unlike other forms of pollution, we can have an impact on this one very quickly.

Dark Sky Action Item 1: Consider the outdoor lighting for your home or business. Could you use lower-wattage bulbs? Could you eliminate any lights? Could they turn off automatically after midnight?

Our Biological Clocks Help Keep Us Healthy

In fewer than 100 years, humans have radically altered our nighttime environment, putting our health at risk. Due to the rapid growth of artificial light at night, most of us spend our nights bathed in light. But basking in all this light at night is not natural and it may be taking a serious toll on our health. We are only just beginning to understand the negative consequences of this swift change in our environment. A growing body of scientific research suggests that artificial light at night can have lasting adverse effects on human health.  The American Medical Association tells us:

“The power to artificially override the natural cycle of light and dark is a recent event and represents a manmade self-experiment.”

Humans evolved with the rhythms of the natural light-dark cycle of bright days and dark nights. Before the advent of artificial lighting, we spent our evenings in relative darkness. Like most life on Earth, humans adhere to a circadian rhythm — our master clock, which is crucial for our overall health. It interacts with our body systems, changes our hormone levels and even modifies our genetic code. Natural light helps keep our clock in tune with Earth’s 24-hour cycle.

When our master clock is out of sync with the day-night cycle, it’s called circadian disruption. Altering or interrupting our normal circadian rhythm can put us at risk for physiological and behavioral impacts. Shift work almost always causes circadian disruption because it puts the internal body clock at odds with the shift schedule.

Circadian disruption may increase our risk of obesity, diabetes, mood disorders, reproductive problems and cancers. Numerous studies have linked working the night shift and exposure to light at night to increased risks for breast and prostate cancers and other health problems. Circadian disruption can affect our natural sleep patterns, too. A good night’s sleep helps reduce weight gain, stress, depression and the onset of diabetes.

We don’t know why light at night appears to be so bad for us. But we do know that exposure to light at night – even if it’s dim – can suppress the body’s natural production of melatonin, a hormone that is important for our health including regulating our sleep-wake cycle, metabolism and immune system.

Learn more about artificial light and its affect on your health

The DUCC Creation Justice Team invites you to read and discuss the gorgeously written and critically acclaimed The End of Night by Paul Bogard. The book is available in print and electronic form from The Saugatuck-Douglas District Library.  If all copies are checked-out, request a copy through the library’s inter-loan network. The book is also available as an audiobook, narrated by the author. It is also available from your favorite booksellers in stores or online.

On November 2, at 6:30 pm, we will gather at the DUCC Friendship Hall, 56 Wall Street, to discuss the book and explore local and national efforts to reduce excessive, damaging and dangerous lighting in our community. This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited, so please sign up to help us with our planning.

You can register for this event here.

Following CDC recommendations, facemasks are requested for all participants while indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

For billions of years, life has evolved with Earth’s predictable rhythm of light and dark controlled by the length of the day. In fact, it’s encoded in the DNA of all plants, animals and humans. But our growth and technology have radically disrupted this cycle by lighting up the nighttime sky. It used to be that when the sun went down, celestial sources like the moon, stars, planets and the Milky Way lit the sky at night. Life learned to operate under the glow of these objects.

It is estimated that half of all species on Earth start their “daily” activities at sundown. Plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily cycle of light and dark to govern life-sustaining behaviors such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep and protection from predators. Scientific evidence suggests that artificial light at night has negative and deadly effects on many creatures, including amphibians, birds, mammals, invertebrates, and plants.

Christopher Kyba, a light pollution research scientist tells us: “Near cities, cloudy skies are now hundreds, or even thousands of times brighter than they were 200 years ago. We are only beginning to learn what a drastic effect this has had on earth’s nocturnal ecology.”

The need to protect and restore the natural nighttime environment is more urgent than ever. Light pollution, defined as light where it is not wanted or needed, affects our health, wastes money, damages the environment, destroys wildlife, and limits our ability to find awe and wonder in the natural night.

Research indicates that light pollution is increasing at a global average rate of two percent per year.

What if we could fix this?

What if our towns were known not only for our coastline and nature trails and shops and restaurants, but also for our beautiful night-time skies?

The DUCC Creation Justice Team invites you to read and discuss the gorgeously written and critically acclaimed The End of Night by Paul Bogard. The book is available in print and electronic form from The Saugatuck-Douglas District Library.  If all copies are checked-out, request a copy through the library’s inter-loan network. The book is also available as an audiobook, narrated by the author. It is also available from your favorite booksellers in stores or online.

On November 2, at 6:30 pm, we will gather at the DUCC Friendship Hall, 56 Wall Street, to discuss the book and explore local and national efforts to reduce excessive, damaging and dangerous lighting in our community. This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited, so please sign up to help us with our planning.

Following CDC recommendations, facemasks are requested for all participants while indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

For more information on the need for responsible outdoor light, visit the International Dark-Sky Association at www.darksky.org.

To register for this free event, click here: https://bit.ly/TheEndOfNight.

Did you know that outdoor lighting that emits too much light or shines when and where it’s not needed wastes energy, cost billions of dollars and increases carbon emissions?

Did you know that artificial light at night has been cited as a factor in health concerns ranging from poor sleep to some cancers?

Did you know that excessive outdoor lighting at night has negative and deadly effects on our natural environment, affecting many creatures including your family pets, amphibians, birds, mammals, beneficial insects, and plants?

Did you know that bright or unshielded lights actually decrease your safety by producing darker dark areas where dangers can hide in plain sight?

Did you know that bright outdoor lighting makes driving at night difficult and much more dangerous – especially for the elderly?

Did you know that generations are growing up without ever seeing the night skies many of us remember seeing in our childhood?

What if we could fix this?

What if our towns were known not only for our coastline and nature trails and shops and restaurants, but also for our beautiful night-time skies?

The DUCC Creation Justice Team invites you to read and discuss the gorgeously written and critically acclaimed The End of Night by Paul Bogard. The book is available in print and electronic form from The Saugatuck-Douglas District Library.  If all copies are checked-out, request a copy through the library’s inter-loan network. The book is also available as an audiobook, narrated by the author. It is also available from your favorite booksellers in stores or online.

On November 2, at 6:30 pm, we will gather at the DUCC Friendship Hall, 56 Wall Street, to discuss the book and explore local and national efforts to reduce excessive, damaging and dangerous lighting in our community. This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited, so please sign up to help us with our planning.

Following CDC recommendations, facemasks are requested for all participants while indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

For more information on the need for responsible outdoor light, visit the International Dark-Sky Association at www.darksky.org.

To register for this free event, click here: https://bit.ly/TheEndOfNight.