There are several things you can do personally to help fight light pollution. Here are a few ideas for what you can do around your home, business and community.
Inspect the lighting around your home
Poor lighting not only creates glare and light pollution but also wastes enormous amounts of energy and money. Take a few moments to check your property for inefficient, poorly installed and unnecessary outdoor lighting. Learn how by visiting the DarkSky International (DarkSky) residential and business lighting webpage.
You’ll be surprised how much eliminating or adjusting a few bulbs around your home improves the view. After you have made a couple changes, take the opportunity to get reacquainted with the nighttime sky.
Use dark sky friendly lighting at your home and business
Look for DarkSky International’s fixture seal of approval on any outdoor lighting you purchased. DarkSky maintains a searchable database of lighting products certified to minimize glare, light trespass and sky glow. Use these products when replacing outdated or inappropriate lighting fixtures.
Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors
You can be a powerful dark sky advocate in your neighborhood, your city, and even your state and country. Solving the light pollution problem involves raising awareness of the issue so that people are empowered to make better decisions as consumers, voters and community members. Use resources like DarkSky’s general brochure, “Losing the Dark” video, or mobile apps to help spread the word.
Advocate for a lighting ordinance in your town
At the heart of reducing light pollution is smart community planning period numerous cities and counties in central Idaho already have dark sky ordinances that require shielding of outdoor lighting. But given changes in lighting technology and the recent surge in LED popularity, revisions to many older dark sky ordinances are becoming necessary. CIDSR representatives have been working with local governments to assess the need for adopting or improving existing ordinances. If you have questions about this process please send us an e-mail.
Steward the night sky through DarkSky’s Dark Sky Places Program
DarkSky International’s Dark Sky Places Program started in 2001 to inspire communities around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education. There are several different designation opportunities throughout the program that include