Reducing lighting not only provides for a clearer view of the skies, but it also saves energy and money.
That's why the Astronomy Club of Augusta asked North Augusta about a year ago to consider helping eliminate light pollution. On Monday the North Augusta City Council will meet to approve a final reading of its new lighting ordinance.
It would restrict lighting in new or renovated commercial and multifamily residential buildings and ban high-intensity light sources for outdoor advertising. Businesses would be required to reduce lighting by 50 percent after they close.
Tedda Howard, chairwoman of the astronomy club, said Aiken County has already adopted a lighting ordinance and that the next step will be to ask Augusta to do the same.
Reducing light pollution benefits both residents and business owners, Mrs. Howard said.
Excessive use of lighting at night affects visibility, is an extra expense to the city and creates health risks, she said.
Members of the club who live in the Augusta area have told Mrs. Howard that views of space are restricted as a result of light pollution, keeping some people from observing the planets Venus and Jupiter, which can be seen now. The club uses Mrs. Howard's home in Windsor on the Nine Mile Range Skies Observatory farm for star parties.
"We want to increase safety, improve good health, reduce light pollution and reduce cost to the community for unnecessary lighting," she said. "We think having an awareness and being educated on responsible lighting will be very helpful to the community."
The United States cannot afford to waste energy with unnecessary lighting, Mrs. Howard said.
"We can reduce our energy costs by reducing wasted lighting," she said.
Mrs. Howard suggests using motion-activated lights or timers.
Motion detectors can be used to provide safety without lighting an entire area, she said.
"People think lighting an area makes them safer, but in reality the opposite is true," she said. "Lighting, generally at night, creates light and shadows, and criminals can hide in shadows and the light can show them what they're interested to see."
The use of lighting by businesses, particularly gas stations, to compete with one another is a problem, Mrs. Howard said.
"The (excessive) light is not really necessary for seeing, and it's costing everybody a lot of money," Mrs. Howard said.
Protecting health is another reason to consider lighting restrictions, Mrs. Howard said.
"Sometimes lighting goes farther than just your property, onto someone else's, sometimes through their windows," she said. "A good night's rest is important for our health, and there are health issues regarding too much lighting."
Mrs. Howard recommends keeping blinds shut at night to keep lighting from escaping homes.
Billboards are an example of misused lighting, she said. Instead of having bulbs shine up on the sign, they should shine down to keep excess light out of the sky.
Some observatories in the U.S. have been closed because of light pollution.
The Mount Wilson Observatory in California has lost 90 percent of its viewing capability, Mrs. Howard said.
Reach Crystal Garcia at (706) 823-3409 or crystal.garcia@augustachronicle.com.
ASTRONOMY CLUB
Anyone interested in the astronomy club can contact Tedda Howard at showard2@tds.net or visit the Web site at angelfire.com/ga/astronomyclubaugusta.
Comments
I'd like to see some of our counties over here in Georgia adopting a similar ordinance. There are so many ways to creatively and safely light areas without flooding the skies with excessive light at night. Excessive light doesn't affect only star gazers and light sleepers; it also affects the health of plants and animals.
Me to! I just got back from a 2000 mile trip to see the Milky Way. I would love to take the heavy towel from my bedroom window.
I live just over a mile from down town Augusta (as the crow flies) and I have a great blanket of stars over my house (no yard light). I'm always amazed at how few are visible in town at night. I know young adults, townies, that have never seen the dark. They've seen less light, but never the dark. That's got to affect your whole outlook on life.
I love going to the country building a fire in the fire pit and sitting there looking up at all the stars. Its really beautiful.
I'd love to see lighting restrictions become required in all areas. I remember growing up as a kid and being able to walk out my front door, look up and see the starts, The Milky Way, etc. It was wonderful. I'm a mid 40s age person, so it really wasn't all that long ago.
I've read that some of the illnesses that plague us are caused in part by too much light exposure. Not sure if that's true or not, but it's something to think about.
you all are a bunch of idiots !!
i frive quite a bit, interstate mostly, and the glare from billboards with mis-aligned lights create a problem at times. Many of the overhead lights that DOT has up, shine down also.
Looking at the stars is a wonderful experience, yet even in my small town the lights can cause a loss of vision.
Also, maybe my neighbors will read this and take down some of the flood lights they have in their yard, shining in my bedroom window.
drive, not frive.
Would Mrs Howard please elaborate on the "health" issues? If one wants a "good nights rest" without having any light shining through the window, they have room darkening shades available. I am sick and tired of these 'do-gooders' telling the masses what they think is best for us; you don't even know me and are trying to say I am living in unhealthy conditions because the street light is on. I like to look at the stars, too, and have lived in large cities as well as rural communities--can't say I ever had problems looking at the stars from my front porch or back yard. If the issue is pollution, then look at what industry has done to the atmosphere; it has nothing to do with lighting. As for criminal elements, they will get into your house or car whether or not you have lights on or off. If Mrs Howard's argument was focused on the economical use of lighting, I could certainly agree with that; but that is not what she is discussing. Mrs Howard, in the future, if you care to discuss 'health' issues in relation to lighting, then please focus on that.
Finally, some sensible actions taken to improve our surroundings, and here comes another ignorant soul, mable8, criticizing "do-gooders." Well, mable8, perhaps if there were a few more active do-gooders, our Republic, states and cities wouldn't be in such a mess. And, if only some of those do-gooders were also politicians, instead of so many of them being self-centered jerks and thieves -- how wonderful that would be. Of all of mable's inane comments, the topper is "If the issue is pollution, then look at what industry has done to the atmosphere; it has nothing to do with lighting." I suppose like small children who think the source of meat and milk is grocery stores, mable8 thinks that the huge amounts of energy required to power outdoor lighting comes from the energy fairy. The damages to the environment from extracting the fuel for the electrical generation plants to produce the electricity, and the damages to the environment from burning those fossil fuels are horrendous. Also, apparently mable8 doesn't think that electrical utilities are "industry." So, mable8, please crawl back under your hermetically sealed rock. Your brand of ignorance is not blissful, it's nuts.
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