Debate: Light pollution

[Tuffdisc]

I was going to do this before I went on my break/holiday

Since I wanted to photograph the night sky...Jupiter and the rest..

On the way back on the plane last night, I was amazed to see how much light pollution in this country is compared to somewhere like France/Spain.

I think countries like the UK should reduce the amount light pollution either by using less lamp posts i.e. half or quarter the amount we have on each street or reduce the output of each light. In Kent, they turn off the lights on the M2 (Motorway) after midnight, which I should think the country as a whole should follow

 

[Natasha]

I don't debate, but I just wanted to comment on this thread b/c you are the only other person I know who knows about light pollution!!! Everytime I would mention it before, people would laugh at me.

 

[Tuffdisc]

I don't debate, but I just wanted to comment on this thread b/c you are the only other person I know who knows about light pollution!!! Everytime I would mention it before, people would laugh at me.

Some people are silly though to laugh at you :thumbup

 

[Natasha]

Some people are silly though to laugh at you :thumbup

True. I never really thought about it until I took Astronomy in college. Seeing the difference when you go out to the country to look at the stars vs. trying to find somewhere decent to star gaze in the city will open your eyes.

 

[Abcinthia]

It freaks me out when I'm in the town centre late at night because I just cannot see the stars at all and the sky doesn't look right.

While I think turning lights off for light pollution would be good, it would depend on the area. Where I live sometimes has the lights on the service road (it's inbetween the houses and the woodland) turned off and other nearby roads get their lights turned off too (just for money reasons, not for light pollution). They normally get turned back on within a couple of months though because without the lights, it makes the woodland and fields behind my house pitch black and people get attacked more often.

I won't walk home in the dark when the lights are off by the woodland - I'm just too scared to.

 

[HK]

Yeah this is the problem, light pollution sucks but if you turn off the lights, people don't feel safe. My city centre tried to implement plans to turn off more of their street lights at certain times of night and there was a big backlash, as much as it'd be nice to see the stars, they sure as hell don't stop you getting mugged in a dark alley.

It'd be nice if they could switch street lamps over to solar power though. They're out in the sun all day after all

 

[Tuffdisc]

Yeah this is the problem, light pollution sucks but if you turn off the lights, people don't feel safe. My city centre tried to implement plans to turn off more of their street lights at certain times of night and there was a big backlash, as much as it'd be nice to see the stars, they sure as hell don't stop you getting mugged in a dark alley.

It'd be nice if they could switch street lamps over to solar power though. They're out in the sun all day after all

I can understand dark alleys they don't interfere too much, but we now have two lights per lamp posts (one for pedestrians and the other side for the road, plus the usual amounts of lamp posts for the road, surely cars have headlights to see where they are going. If we could reduced the amount for the roads, especially dual carriage ways and motorways where it isn't particularly needed for the night time I wouldn't mind

 

[Tuffdisc]

It freaks me out when I'm in the town centre late at night because I just cannot see the stars at all and the sky doesn't look right.

While I think turning lights off for light pollution would be good, it would depend on the area. Where I live sometimes has the lights on the service road (it's inbetween the houses and the woodland) turned off and other nearby roads get their lights turned off too (just for money reasons, not for light pollution). They normally get turned back on within a couple of months though because without the lights, it makes the woodland and fields behind my house pitch black and people get attacked more often.

I won't walk home in the dark when the lights are off by the woodland - I'm just too scared to.

Well I can understand your point of view being in the woodlands, not even I would

 

[HK]

The only thing I can say about night driving, which I avoid if I can, is that a road without street lights is scary. Not because I'm wondering if someone is going to try and steal my car but on motorways and country roads, I hate only being able to see a few metres in front of me. If there are other cars on the road then you can't use the brightest setting either.

I'm a cautious driver anyway and I know some people are far more confident, but I don't feel safe driving at the speed limit when there are no lights on the road.

 

[MoonOwl]

When we moved up here we had our street light turned off. It's on our property and we're allowed to have it shut down.

From what I've read along the way, all street lights could be retro-fitted w/hats and that would help. Getting rid of all the up-shooting lights would help much too.

 

[Tuffdisc]

The only thing I can say about night driving, which I avoid if I can, is that a road without street lights is scary. Not because I'm wondering if someone is going to try and steal my car but on motorways and country roads, I hate only being able to see a few metres in front of me. If there are other cars on the road then you can't use the brightest setting either.

I'm a cautious driver anyway and I know some people are far more confident, but I don't feel safe driving at the speed limit when there are no lights on the road.

This actually makes me more alert, not that I am complacent when there is light available

 

[HK]

This actually makes me more alert, not that I am complacent when there is light available

Haha yeah it makes me alert all right, alert with fear

 

[Tuffdisc]

haha yeah it makes me alert all right, alert with fear

:d:24:

 

[Tuffdisc]

When we moved up here we had our street light turned off. It's on our property and we're allowed to have it shut down.

From what I've read along the way, all street lights could be retro-fitted w/hats and that would help. Getting rid of all the up-shooting lights would help much too.

That would also be a nice idea, but only if that was on someone's property

 

[freakofnature]

:willy_nilly: Light pollution!!! Being an astronomy geek I am a huge supporter of reducing light pollution! :nod:

From what I've read along the way, all street lights could be retro-fitted w/hats and that would help. Getting rid of all the up-shooting lights would help much too.

This. We don't have to get rid of street lights to reduce light pollution. All that is needed is to prevent the light from scattering in all directions. Lights with hats on them would direct the light down, which is where its needed anyway. We wouldn't be sacrificing security at night and we could see more stars. It's a win-win.

 

[porterjack]

i saw the space shuttle and the space station last night

 

[Tuffdisc]

i saw the space shuttle and the space station last night

Lucky you :thumbup

 

[MoonOwl]

We see lots more Stars than we did in Tampa.

But, we can sure tell where the Home Depot (10 miles away) is and where the "SuperWalmart" is (almost 10 the other direction).

So yeah, hats on all those lights would go a long way in helping.

When I was 14 I went to a camp in Bonsall, CA. At the time that was way, way out there. I had to run to the bathroom about 3AM and that is the first (and only) place I could actually see some of the Milky Way. I just stood there for a while in awe.

I read somewhere there are only a very few places left where you can really see all that is out there to see. How sad.

I'll take our 500 or so here over the 15 or so we saw in Tampa any day. But to see billions would be very cool.

 

[freakofnature]

We see lots more Stars than we did in Tampa.

But, we can sure tell where the Home Depot (10 miles away) is and where the "SuperWalmart" is (almost 10 the other direction).

So yeah, hats on all those lights would go a long way in helping.

When I was 14 I went to a camp in Bonsall, CA. At the time that was way, way out there. I had to run to the bathroom about 3AM and that is the first (and only) place I could actually see some of the Milky Way. I just stood there for a while in awe.

I read somewhere there are only a very few places left where you can really see all that is out there to see. How sad.

I'll take our 500 or so here over the 15 or so we saw in Tampa any day. But to see billions would be very cool.

Birkenhead Lake, which is 2 hours north of Whistler, BC, is excellent for star gazing. It's in the middle of nowhere. The mountains get in the way a bit, though.

 

[MoonOwl]

*sigh*