At my house, I own an estate extending trillions of miles into space – an extremely long slice of the night sky. Because I live in a city, and there are lights all around me, I just can’t see much of it – only a handful of the brightest stars and planets. It’s a common problem. Many of us will never see the rare, exquisite beauty of a really dark sky.
Like a lot of insidious problems, the negative impacts of light pollution are just beginning to dawn on us. It confuses migrating birds, and wastes energy. And it can wreak havoc on the human body. Darkness, it turns out, is really good for us, allowing our bodies time to rejuvenate and produce beneficial, cancer-fighting chemicals.
Darkness is not the domain of the boogeyman, or the big bad wolf, as folklore suggests, or that security and lighting companies would have us believe. These companies sell us on their assumption; that more light is always better, making us safer, more secure. Actually, the human eye is designed to work well in low light conditions, much dimmer than what these companies are selling. Bright lights create dark shadows that actually hide burglars, and the light shining in my eyes from my neighbor’s porch light means there’s no way I’ll see someone breaking into her house.
What is really needed outside the house is the right kind of light in the right place – doing the job efficiently protecting our night sky. Use the dimmest bulbs available, if you can. Shield fixtures to shine only on the areas needing vigilance and protection. Lower lights closer to working surfaces rather than brightening the lights. You will be safer, save energy and ultimately, if we all pitch in, allow the gorgeous night sky to re-appear.
So how do issues like preservation of the dark sky fit into neighborhood and community improvement initiatives? How can the city of Springfield “move the needle” on preserving the dark sky? As it turns out, participants in the initial community input phases of Forward SGF stressed that Springfield’s proximity to the great outdoors and abundant, healthful natural resources and open spaces was the most important community asset.
Forward SGF will champion a variety of initiatives that seek to improve the livability of our neighborhoods and increase quality of life and enjoyable outdoor experiences for both residents and visitors alike. Protecting mature trees, preserving the dark sky and other sustainable development practices will be initiated and championed in the Comprehensive Plan.
To learn more about local efforts to preserve the dark sky visit darkskymissouri.org or ozarksociety.net.
Loring Bullard is the former executive director of Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and has a strong personal interest in protecting the land, air and water quality for future generations. He and Randall Whitman with the City’s Planning and Development Department, collaborated for this article.