six simple suggestions
- Use light only where needed.
- Use light only when needed. These two rules will not only decrease light pollution, but could potentially save you money on your electricity bill.
- Shield light to reduce glare and improve efficiency. This will direct light down to the ground, instead of upwards and will illuminate the correct area.
- Use yellow light when practical and minimize blue light emissions. Blue light can increase vulnerability to losing vision, especially for the elderly and put humans at higher health risk. For more information, click here to read a study by the IDA.
- Use the minimum amount of light necessary for the task. Dimmers, motion sensors and timers can help to reduce average illumination levels and save even more energy.
- Use energy efficient lamps. LEDs and compact fluorescents (CFLs) can help reduce energy use and protect the environment, but only warm-white bulbs should be used.
finding dark sky approved lighting
Dark Sky Friendly Lighting is required to be full shielded and minimize the amount of blue light that trespasses in the night sky. To buy Dark Sky Friendly Lighting, look for International Dark-Sky Association (IDA)’s seal of approval on lighting products, or click here.
For communities seeking ordinance guidance
Below are model lighting ordinances that can be adaptive for various types of communities with varying levels of development.