Less than 100 years ago, most people looked up at night and saw a spectacular starry night, spanned by the shimmering Milky Way. Now, the night sky for most is a pink glow broken only by the moon, the brightest stars and passing airplanes. Most of us are familiar with the idea of air, water and land pollution, but don’t even think about artificial light as a form of pollution. The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve is an effort to ahead of growing light pollution in Idaho.

Light pollution is so widespread and common to Western life that we hardly give it thought. According to the 2016 groundbreaking, World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, more than 80% of the planet’s land areas-and 99% of the population of the United States and Europe-are under skies so blotted with man-made light that the Milky Way has become virtually invisible.

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Some of you may ask, so what is the big deal if you can’t see the Milky Way? The truth is, the continuous, unblinking glare of artificial light has major impacts on wildlife, dwindling energy resources, human health, crime and safety.

  • Ecosystems and Wildlife: Plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily cycle of light and dark rhythm to govern life-sustaining behaviors such as reproduction, nourishment, sleep and protection from predators. Scientific evidence suggests that artificial light at night has negative and deadly effects on many creatures including amphibians, birds, mammals, insects and plants.
  • Energy Consumption: Unnecessary outdoor lighting wastes energy and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. International Dark Sky Association estimates that least 30% of all outdoor lighting in the U.S. alone is wasted, mostly by lights that aren’t shielded. That adds up to $3.3 billion and the release of 21 million tons of carbon dioxide per year!
  • Human Health: Research suggests that artificial light at night can negatively affect human health, increasing risks for obesity, depression, sleep disorders, diabetes, breast cancer and more.
  • Crime and Safety: The truth is bad outdoor lighting can decrease security and safety by making victims and property easier to see. A Chicago alley lighting project showed a correlation between brightly lit alleyways and increased crime.

You can help fight light pollution and protect the night sky:

There are several things you can do personally and locally to help fight light pollution. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has come up with several great ways to help reduce light pollution. Below are just a couple ideas for what you can do around your home, business and within your community.

1.  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 inspect your property for inefficient, poorly installed and unnecessary outdoor lighting. Learn how by visiting the IDA’s  residential and business lighting webpage.

2. Use dark-sky friendly lighting at your home and business

Look for the International Dark-Sky Association’s  fixture seal of approval  on any outdoor lighting you purchase. IDA maintains a searchable database of lighting products certified to minimize glare, light trespass and skyglow. These products are recommended when replacing outdated or inappropriate lighting fixtures.

3. 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 IDA’s  general brochure, "Losing the Dark” video, or mobile apps to help spread the word.

4. Advocate for a lighting ordinance in your town

Local lighting ordinances ensure that your municipality is addressing artificial light at night. Find out if your town has a lighting ordinance. If not, try working with them to pass one. If your town does have an ordinance, make sure that it’s being enforced.

You’ll be surprised how much eliminating or adjusting a few bulbs around your home improves the view. After you have made a couple of changes, take the opportunity to get reacquainted with the nighttime sky. If you’re really interested in preserving our night sky, take a moment and learn about the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve.