Dark Sky Ordinances lead the fight against Light Pollution.
By: Bill Meincke
Tags: Light, Arizona, Pollution, Future, Stars

Sedona, Arizona — Beautiful landscapes, painted rocks, spectacular hikes, energy vortexes, and a breathtaking gateway into the Milky Way Galaxy. It’s hard not to love this town during the day, but the nighttime view offers an unforgettable jaw-dropping view of the Big Dipper, Orion’s Belt, and the red planet, Mars. It also offers an insight into a fight that is often forgotten, the fight against light pollution.

Where does the United States stand?

In June 2016, it was estimated that one-third of the world’s population could no longer see the Milky Way, including 80% of Americans and 60% of Europeans. A majority of the problem in the United States lies east of the Mississippi River. Close to 60% of America’s population lives east of The Mighty Mississippi- most in or around large cities like New York, Miami, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago. In a dark sky around the United States, you can see almost 4,500 stars with the naked eye. In Chicago’s night sky, you can only see about 35. Light pollution ordinances are rare in big cities, and not just because it’s hard to enforce them. It’s difficult to have the hustle and bustle of major cities like these go dark, but when you think about the consequences like the effect it has on a city’s urban wildlife, perhaps it’s a good time to start dimming some outdoor lights.

According to The Humane Society and The American Bird Conservancy, light pollution kills 300 million to 1 billion birds a year as artificial light can disorient them during migration, leading to fatal collisions. To put things in perspective, that’s 600 times the amount of bird deaths by wind turbine each year. No pollution death is acceptable, but that’s a big differential between the two energy sources. Light Pollution is also a major drain on the country’s energy bank account. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) estimates that at least 30 percent of all outdoor lighting is wasted. This costs the world around 3.3 billion dollars annually. It might be time to look into motion sensors and a timer system for those patio flood lights.

Light pollution has also been linked to mental health issues, obesity, and even breast cancer. In 2006, Vanderbilt University researchers concluded that excessive artificial light exposure early in life might contribute to an increased risk of depression and other mood disorders in humans. Artificial light has pushed people away from their natural day-night cycle, potentially leading to changes not just in a human’s behavior, but also their biological rhythms. In 2007, the International Agency for Cancer Research discovered that women who work night shifts have higher rates of breast cancer when compared to those who spent more time absorbing natural daylight. There are certain steps one can take to help combat these effects, like installing blackout curtains in a bedroom or low wattage and red lights in your bedroom. While there are easy solutions, humanity has become accustomed to the light, its safety, and its convenience.

So, how can we begin to solve this problem?

Enter Sedona. Like many cities in Arizona, Sedona has passed several city ordinances battling light pollution since 2001. It may be more nerve-racking to drive at night without streetlights, but it’s something that the people there are accustomed to.

In 2014, the International Dark-Sky Association, founded by astronomers David Crawford and Tim Hunter in 1988, named Sedona to a prestigious list of cities where you can actually see the stars at night. Sedona is one of just twenty-something communities in the world to be named an International Dark Community. Arizona houses more dark communities than not just any other state, but any other country. Just two hours south, the sixth-largest city in the United States; Phoenix, has worked towards reducing light pollution to return to its connection to the night sky and work its way onto the list.

Phoenix’s city council voted back in 2016 to replace the bulbs in all 90,000 lamps on streets and parks with yellow-hued 2700k LEDs, reducing light pollution while offering safer driving conditions and fewer health effects. Communities around Phoenix have since seen the impact of light pollution and are doing things to correct it. Bruce Arlen of Cave Creek, Arizona co-founded the Cave Creek Dark Skies Initiative and is taking steps toward making the town the state’s next Dark Sky Community. Arlen doesn’t just see the impact the ordinances have on nature but sees the economic impact as well. A 2008 study by the University of Arizona found that Astro-tourism, or tourism-related to the night sky, brings in $250 million a year.

Though major cities like Chicago are slower to change, the villages around them are starting to make an impact. Communities like Homer Glen, Hawthorn Woods, and the Middle Fork River Forest Preserve in Champaign County have all received recognition from the International Dark-Sky Association for their lighting retrofits and lighting ordinances. While light pollution is still a rampant concern, the city does have some resources for its citizens like The Adler Planetarium. The museum offers an exhibit on Chicago’s Night Sky, inclusive of helpful solutions to combat pollution. In 2014, New York State passed a law that requires new exterior lighting installed in new projects should not waste energy, pollute the night sky, or produce glare or light spill. The law provides for the designation of dark-sky preserves and requires electric corporations to share information about light pollution and solutions to their customers. Hopefully, this will lead to major change in our lifetime.

How do we continue the push to find solutions?

Most city folks aren’t used to the wide-open spaces and millions of stars that can be seen out West, so it will take some educating and convincing to change opinions and drive action. The way of life is set for many and changes like these can feel “radical” for many, but if the people of Sedona and Phoenix can change, so can the people of Chicago and New York.

Awareness begins with organizations like the International Dark-Sky Association, The Humane Society, or even smaller online groups with helpful information about artificial light. Every idea is a spark that leads to a fire that gets picked up by a politician and put into policy. Each small light change is a step in the right direction to a healthier life and a clearer look into the Milky Way.