Light
pollution,
also known as photopollution or luminous
pollution,
is excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive artificial
light. Pollution is
the adding-of/added light itself.
Light
trespass occurs when unwanted light enters one's property, for
instance, by shining over a neighbor's fence. A common light trespass
problem occurs when a strong light enters the window of one's home
from the outside, causing problems such as sleep
deprivation or
the blocking of an evening view.
Glare
Blinding
glare describes effects such as that caused by
staring into the Sun. It is completely blinding and leaves temporary
or permanent vision deficiencies.
Disability
glare describes effects such as being blinded by oncoming
car lights, or light scattering in fog or in the eye, reducing
contrast, as well as reflections from print and other dark areas
that render them bright, with significant reduction in sight
capabilities.
Discomfort
glare does not typically cause a dangerous situation in
itself, though it is annoying and irritating at best. It can
potentially cause fatigue if experienced over extended periods.
I
ask you with tears (literally) in my eyes why businesses have to
install searchlights (really bright piercing lights) on the outside
of their buildings.
Security?
Maybe. But all these really bright lights do is highlight the
target and make it easier for muggers and carjackers to see what they
are doing. People coming outside to go to their cars are just
plain blinded by the really bright lights and cannot see who their
attacker is.
The
business over the road from where I live has installed these really
bright lights on their outside wall. So bright that I cannot go
onto my balcony without being blinded. They also give me an
intense headache.
As
far as I am concerned there is no point in these lights pointing
upwards towards the building over the road. They should be
pointing downwards on the cars they are supposed to be protecting.
When
I complained about these "searchlights" the reply I got
back from the CEO of the business, Red Pepper Studios, was:
I
acknowledge receipt of your mail. I will ask my people to look into
the matter. They are not search lights and they were put there to
light up our pavement after we suffered a few muggings and car thefts
in the evening after 18h00.
As
you are no doubt aware, we are busy with building project at the
moment and it seams as if one of the lights might have
been accidentally moved. We will attend to this. You
have however made your point quite clear with respect to the whole
blinding thing and I accept that diplomacy was never your strong
point in life.
Light
pollution is a major problem in this world. Not only because
the security searchlights cause disruption to an astronomer's viewing
pleasure and potentially blinding people, but they contribute to
global warming. Plants that are near these searchlights react
to them by having no night time so put out more oxygen in the
air and don't "sleep." I have noticed this on my
plants that I have on the verandah are getting twenty four hours of
light whereas my plants on the balcony are only getting 12 hours of
light and are more healthy.
While
I am driving these lights are brighter than car bright lights and
they really hurt my eyes. At least when other cars lights are
bright you can request a dim from them.
There
are solutions from wikipedia:
Reducing
light pollution implies many things, such as reducing sky glow,
reducing glare, reducing light trespass, and reducing clutter. The
method for best reducing light pollution, therefore, depends on
exactly what the problem is in any given instance. Possible solutions
include:
Utilizing
light sources of minimum intensity necessary to accomplish the
light's purpose.
Turning
lights off using a timer or occupancy sensor or manually when not
needed.
Improving
lighting fixtures, so that they direct their light more accurately
towards where it is needed, and with less side effects.
Adjusting
the type of lights used, so that the light waves emitted are those
that are less likely to cause severe light pollution problems.
Mercury, metal halide and above all first generation of blue-light
LED road luminaires are much more pollutant that sodium lamps: Earth
atmosphere scatters and transmits blue light better than yellow or
red light. It is a common experience observing "glare" and
"fog" around and below LED road luminaires as soon as air
humidity increases, while orange sodium lamp luminaires are less
prone to show this phenomenon.
Evaluating
existing lighting plans, and re-designing some or all of the plans
depending on whether existing light is actually needed.
The
following website shows some examples of bad lights and how to
direct them to make them better.
My
comment:
You
don't have to point your lights skywards to protect your street.
Point the the lights downwards. Replace the sharp searchlights with
softer lights. Ones that don't blind your neighbours.
My
solution is why not put the lights onto movement detectors then when
a potential thief walks past the movement detector switches the light
on and they are blinded
Put
shades on them so the light shines downwards and does not shine
upwards, and sideways. The following is from La Cruces ordinance on
lighting
Outdoor
lighting fixtures: Any lighting device located exterior to a
structure or intended to illuminate areas exterior to a structure,
whether permanently or temporarily installed. Such devices include,
but are not limited to, search lights,spotlights, flood lights, sign
and architectural lighting, and lighting for
parks,parking
lots, roadways, and athletic facilities.
Illuminating
devices:
Light
fixture types:
a.
Full cutoff fixture types--A fixture which, as installed, gives no
emission of light above a horizontal plane;
b.
Floodlights and spotlights--Fixtures defined as having a full beam
width or beam spread of less than 110 degrees;
(2)
Lamp types:
a.
Incandescent lamps--Lamps which produce light via an electrically
heated metallic filament;
b.
Fluorescent lamps--Lamps which use fluorescence of a phosphor to
produce visible light.
c.
High intensity discharge lamps--Lamps which produce visible light
directly by the electrical heating or excitation of a gas. Examples
of such lighting include, but are not limited to, Metal Halide, High
Pressure Sodium, Low Pressure Sodium, and Mercury Vapor. For purposes
of this chapter, fluorescent lights are not considered HID lighting.
