Taken by Ed Lu (UH - IFA)

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Light Pollution Hawaiian Islands 2003
Taken by Ed Lu (UH - IFA) Astronaut on ISS for
6 months -2003
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Quantifying Light Pollution Worldwide Defense
Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) USAF
Satellite and ground based observations.
P. Cinzano, F. Falchi, C. D. Elvidge U of Padova
Dept of Astronomy
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66 of the US population and 20 of
the worlds population can no longer see the
Milky way.
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99 of the population in the lower 48 and the EU
live in areas where the night sky is above
threshold set for polluted status.
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Light Pollution
Outdoor lighting currently stands as one of the
most inefficient uses of energy today. 30 to 50
of all light pollution is produced by roadway
lighting that shines wasted light upwards and
outwards.
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Light Pollution Glare Light trespass Sky
glow Energy waste Clutter
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Toronto 2003 Sky Glow Glare
During Blackout
After Blackout
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Skyglow
Honolulu, HI Can it be fixed? Yes. How? With
ordinances one light at a time.
Courtesy M Donohue
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Ranks as 5th best observatory in the world
Sky glow over Haleakala. Note Hnl lights in NW
darkness in SE
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The Cost of Throwing Away Electricity
The USA spends over 2 billion per year in energy
costs from wasted light at night.
Waste 6 million tons of coal or 23
million barrels of oil per year Greenhouse gasses
produced add to global warming.
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US Power Sources
55 from coal 22 from nuclear 10 from
natural gas 10 from hydropower 2 from oil
(Hawaii 90) 1 from other sources
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Pineal Gland Makes melatonin from serotonin and
tryptophan Melatonin production responds to
light-dark cycle
Newly found circadian Photoreceptors in RGC
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Light Human health Circadian
rhythms Melatonin and the pineal gland Newly
discovered RGCs (Berson-2002) Blue light
sensitive 464 480 nm Trigger SCN clock
center non visual Rat studies (Blask
Basset Research Center, Cooperstown, NY) LAN
reduces mlt. and increases growth rates of
human breast cancer cells implanted in
rats Darkness at night high mlt. low cancer
growth rates Human studies (Blask 2004) Blood
from humans exposed to LAN low mlt high cancer
cell growth Blood from humans exposed to
darkness high mlt low ca growth Epidemiology
cancers in shift workers (Harvard nurses health
study) (Stevens, Schernhammer) Higher rates of
breast and colorectal cancers in shift workers
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Paper summarizing current literature linking LAN
to breast and colorectal cancer. Medical
Hypotheses Oct. 2004
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Effects of Artificial Light at Night on
Ecosystems (photopollution)
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Paper summarizing current literature linking LAN
to breast and colorectal cancer. Medical
Hypotheses Oct. 2004
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Lighting and Crime

• Most crimes take place during the day
• Two congressional crime task forces (1979 1997)
  found no relationship between lighting and crime.
  The studies that say there is a relationship are
  not controlled studies
• There are simply no good scientific studies
  that convincingly show the relationship between
  lighting and crime. - (Ref - IDA information
  sheet 42 4/98)

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In defense of low pressure sodium lights on
Maui Good for astronomers Good for human health
no mlt. Suppression Good for ecosystems
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Good FCO Lighting In All Places
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Recessed canopy lights
Yes. Big Oil can do these canopies
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• 50watt hps
• lamps 10 ft high,
• 4000 lumens each,
• 21 ft apart.
• 60,000 lumens of
• light surrounding the
• bldg.

Overkill
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Good FCO Lights
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Opaque cover diffuses light better
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Everybody Wins With Good Lighting

• Less glare, light trespass sky glow
• Restores dark skies for stargazing
• Good for human health ecosystems
• Prevents the pervasive spread of light pollution
• Preserves the night skies for our children

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Everybody Wins With Good Lighting

• Important to human health to sleep in darkness.
• Important to health of ecosystems to minimize
  exposure
• of plants and animals to light at night.

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• Light pollution is the easiest kind of pollution
  to fix.
• Reduce it, shield It, shine it down.
• Light the subject hide the source.
• Follow IESNA rec. levels.
• Use IESNA mins as maximums when can.
• Design for low impact lighting.