As Good As Gold - Brief Article

LET THERE BE DARK

While most people are aware of the problems of air, water, and noise pollution, many are in the dark about light. When nighttime outdoor lights send glare up and out instead of down, they don't just waste energy, they drown out the sky, too. "People come to Arches National Park and say, `I just saw the Milky Way for the first time!'" says Lillian Makeda, a member of the Utah Chapter's Glen Canyon Group and cofounder of Grand County Citizens for Quality Lighting. But recently visitors to Arches have complained that the lights from nearby Moab interfere with stargazing.

To ensure that the light show comes from the heavens and not gas stations, Makeda and others are attempting to get both the city of Moab and the county to pass ordinances requiring businesses to shield their outdoor lights at night to conserve energy and to "minimize light trespass, glare, light pollution, and sky glow." Some proprietors are resistant, citing safety concerns, but Makeda says the ordinances allow for proper security lighting. Plus, she points out, lights with a more focused glow will provide better illumination and save businesses money. The rules would apply to residents' lights, too, but before you say "bah humbug," holiday lights are exempted.

For more information on light pollution, see www.lasal.net/~nightsky, or visit the International Dark-Sky Association at www.darksky.org.

* To spotlight Sierra Club activism in your area, contact Elisa Freeling at Sierra, 85 Second Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-3441; e-mail elisa.freeling@ sierraclub.org; fax (415) 977-5794.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Sierra Magazine
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group