LIGHTING-Innovation-Design

Wildlife friendly lighting is key to keeping the animal population healthy and thriving while also providing security through lighting for people...

Light pollution, or artificial light at night (ALAN), is a rapidly spreading form of environmental degradation that currently covers about 50% of the United States and 90% of Europe. It can have wide-ranging impacts to nocturnal wildlife by causing changes in foraging behavior, space use,...

Schréder uses the latest in lighting technology to design urban lighting solutions that enable cities to ensure safety for people and also let local wildlife survive and thrive. Our Pure Night and FlexiWhite solutions means cities can easily adapt lighting to their specific needs.

r/mildlyinteresting: Aww, cripes. I didn't know I'd have to write a description. How many words is that so far, like a hundred? Soooo, yeah.Mildly …...

No more fear for your security as you travel the thick and vast Nyungwe National Park in the South Western Rwanda; you will rather enjoy wildlife 24/7.Rwanda Energy Group (REG) is working on a project to install streetlights to a total 97-kilometer road network of Nyamagabe – Nyamasheke and Pind...

ABOUT THE BRECON BEACONS INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY RESERVE Now that the entire Brecon Beacons National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve, we intend to preserve our night skies, reduce energy wastage, help protect nocturnal wildlife and hold events related to the fascinating topic of astronomy. You're very welcome to come and experience our dark skies for yourself. What is an International Dark Sky Reserve? Dark Sky Reserve status is a prestigious award given to only a handful of destinations that can prove they have an outstanding quality of night sky. They must also pledge to reduce light pollution to enhance the quality of this amazing asset. Who awards this status? The award is given by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), a United States based non-profit organization founded in 1988. Its mission is "to preserve and protect the night-time environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting." To find out more about what we've been up to to secure this status download our update report here. Our Dark Sky Reserve Residents living within the Brecon Beacons National Park are encouraged to get involved in the initiative and see how reducing their light pollution could save them money on their energy bills and enhance their own views of the night sky. Although large areas of the National Park remain free from light pollution, the gradual encorachment of street, house and security lights means that starlight, which may have travelled for hundreds or even millions of years to reach our eyes, is stolen from us at the last moment by this skyglow. You may not have given consideration to this before but there are many simple things that you can do in your own home to protect our dark nights – and probably reduce your energy bills too. For example, you could use low wattage bulbs, fit exterior lights with motion detectors, shield exterior lights or tilt them towards the ground and switch off lights when you don’t need them. Get acquainted with our dark skies If you’re intrigued, you can join a stargazing event. Some hotels and B&Bs also have telescopes which guests can use. But you’ll be amazed at what you can see, even without a telescope! Choose a clear night and find a spot that’s free from night glow – it could simply be a garden. Take binoculars – they will help you get a better view of the stars. Looking north on a clear night between January and March, you should be able to see the Plough. It isn’t a constellation, but part of a constellation called Ursa Major, Latin for Great Bear. Polaris, otherwise known as the North Star, can be found by following the line of the two ‘pointer’ stars in the Plough. Polaris is positioned above the North Pole, and remains in the same place in the sky throughout the night, while the other stars rotate around it. It has been used for navigation for centuries. Look out for the Perseid Meteor Shower, peaking in mid August. Discover the secret world of nocturnal wildlife It’s not just the stars that come out at night, there are plenty of nocturnal animals too. If you pick the right spot you might be lucky enough to see some of our rarest creatures of the night including barn owls, lesser horseshoe bats and other bat species, foxes, badgers, dormice, hedgehogs, moths and insects. These creatures all rely on dark nights to hunt their prey. New research has revealed that light pollution not only limits the visitbility of stars, but also disturbs the navigational patterns of nocturnal animals. This has contributed to the decline of many of our native nocturnal species. Find out more Click here to find out what's happening in the sky this month and discover how you can find out more about astronomy and enjoy our beautiful dark skies!

Many ostensibly rural creatures are thriving in our towns and cities, while adapting to survive...

Via Wildlife Defence

Night skies throughout the world are becoming brighter due to humans’ increasing use of artificial lights. This doesn’t simply interrupt our star gazing opportunities – it has a significant impact on many different animal species. The term light pollution generally refers to how urban lighting blocks out our view of the night sky. But researchers […]

Artificial light at night is a threat to astronomical research, personal safety, and the health of both humans and wildlife. The problem is worsening with the proliferation of LED billboards and blue-rich white light LED

Light pollution could be costing as much as €460,000 a year in wasted energy, and having a negative effect on our health and wildlife.

The UK’s leading birdnews service since 1991. Sending over 90,000 instant and reliable birdnews reports each year. On pagers, smartphones, tablets and online.

Better management of road verges could boost important wildlife such as pollinating insects, according to new research involving the University of East Anglia.

February 3 – 16, 2020 “I looked at your area and I calculate an increase [of light pollution] from year to year of about 5 percent — more than twice the national average! It is faster than the national average in these once pristine rural/suburban areas. Overall, I see the highest percentage growth in these areas, not cities. So that’s a story worth telling…” — Tim Brothers, manager, MIT Wallace Astrophysical Observatory Mount Washington — While we are looking the other way, the dazzle of starry skies that we thought would always be there is being dimmed by a hazy scrim: when encountered, we feel as if a disease has overtaken our eyes. But the haze is accumulated wasted light from each of our trillions of outdoor lights – private and public – that are not designed to focus the light down to the ground. The result is that the light scatters around and up to the sky, known as “light trespass” and “light pollution.” Excessive light is also wasted light and it is not only a wasted resource. While quick to light up our world, we have not only been oblivious to polluting our skies, but are discovering that light pollution is having deleterious affects on human health and the health of our environment. Yes, each of us can act to reverse this blight by easily adapting the fixtures of our own outdoor lights and exercising discretion when making lighting decisions and turning on the switch. But urgent at this moment in Massachusetts is the fate of a bill, (H.2858/S.1937) “An Act Improving Outdoor Lighting and Increasing Dark-Sky Visibility,” stuck in the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy. The committee must decide whether it is going to support and pass on the bill by Feb. 5. This bill addresses public lighting statewide, e.g. highway lights. Its aim is to promote energy-efficient lighting, conserve energy, regulate outdoor night lighting and reduce light pollution. It is forward-looking legislation that will not require retrofits; rather, it will guide new and replacement lighting. Time is of the essence! Telephone and email your support to your state senator and representative. Instant contact information at https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hamden County residents, contact Sen. Adam G. Hinds, an early co-sponsor of Senate bill S.1937. https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/AGH0 Rep. Smitty Pignatelli can still become a co-sponsor of H.2858. Urge him to do so. https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/WSP1/District In closing, a note from physician and astronomer Mario Motta, M.D., co-author of AMA report “Light Pollution: Adverse Health Effects of Nighttime Lighting.”**: “We [The Massachusetts Medical Society] support the Dark-Sky Bill because it will reduce unnecessary and harmful light pollution, it will help protect human health and wildlife, and it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We respectfully urge the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee to report out favorably the Dark-Sky Bill and to ultimately move it to the full Legislature for passage.” — Mario Motta, M.D., trustee of the American Medical Association Resources **Sky & Telescope article on American Medical Association report https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/ama-addresses-light-pollution/ Blue light LEDs https://www.darksky.org/ama-report-affirms-human-health-impacts-from-leds/ Outdoor Lighting Basics – The International Dark Sky Association IDA https://www.darksky.org/our-work/lighting/lighting-for-citizens/lighting-basics/ Interview with Tim Brothers, Mario Motta https://www.boston.com/news/policy/2019/03/07/massachusetts-dark-sky-light-pollution-bill Tim Brothers, MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences https://eapsweb.mit.edu/news/2019/cutting-back-light-pollution State Sen. Cindy Cream, bill presenter https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2019/09/28/cutting-back-light-pollution/e13qTpeSGTMGRrLxBaL9wN/story.html World map of light pollution https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=10&lat=5180925&lon=-8148894&layers=B0TFFFFFFFFFFFFF April, September, December 2019 “Eyes to the Sky” with bibliographies https://theberkshireedge.com/eyes-to-the-sky-protect-the-night-it-is-good-for-you/ https://theberkshireedge.com/eyes-to-the-sky-visit-the-wilderness-look-up-to-the-sky/ https://theberkshireedge.com/eyes-to-the-sky-space-walk-anniversary-better-light-for-massachusetts/ “Monterey Street Lights: Lighting—or Losing—Our Way,” by Janet Jensen, Monterey News, April 2019

SECI issued a notice inviting tenders (NIT) for solar street lights and fox lights in Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

  by Callum Macgregor Postdoctoral research associate, University of York Conservation is often a conflict between the demands of development and a desire to do what is best for the environment.It’s rare that we get...

Light pollution—and artificial lighting in general—can have dire consequences for wildlife. Here's how to embrace the darkness and help animals in your own yard.

SEREMBAN, Dec 28 — The Department of Wildlife and National Parks has asked the Public Works Department to install more street lights along a 10-km stretch of Jalan Seremban-Kuala Pilah to prevent | Malaysia | Malay Mail Online

A decadeslong commitment to preserving a dark sky for stargazers and wildlife is paying off for a small Arizona city, with satellite images showing far les

Pigeons are like urban canaries in a coal mine. But they're not the only ones cluing us in.