In honor of the upcoming Earth Hour on March 27, we offer a random assortment of efforts to reduce light pollution, conserve energy, and protect migratory birds by minimizing wasted photons. Learn more at the International Dark-Sky Association.
Earth Hour’s website, sponsored by WWF, has a clock counting down the seconds until March 27 at 8:30pm when everyone partaking will shut off their lights, especially exterior lights. Check out these awesome examples from last year.
A good summary of recent (and not so recent) legislative efforts in Maryland has been provided by Dr. Harold Arlen Williams, director of the Montgomery College Planetarium. In DC, City Wildlife has spearheaded a campaign to help migratory birds.
On a side note, public art has been seen as both a contributor to and an educator about light pollution.
Our own county has provided information and education to tackle light pollution, but we can’t seem to get traction to encourage new development to minimize their wasteful practices. Maybe this is as it should be and the bully pulpit is the only tool necessary, but I doubt it.
Bob
Can the M-NCPPC require reduced light pollution as a condition of approving projects? Doing so would be a step in the right direction.
joshua sloan
Reduced light pollution can be encouraged by MNCPPC and then proffered by a developer but cannot be required.
Dunfarall
It would be helpful if M-NCPPC had guidelines on lighting levels that they would like implemented. Right now all I think developers have to go by is IESNA standards.
joshua sloan
The draft approach of the new zoning ordinance will have a section on exterior lighting standards; we’ll see what we can do with that.