Lights Out
The most common suggestion to help conserve energy this Energy Awareness Month is to turn off unnecessary lights…but did you know there is an entire international organization dedicated to doing just that? They are DarkSky.Org, and they are working to certify “dark sky” parks around the globe, as well as to lower light pollution at night from our commercial, industrial, and residential outdoor lighting by making it more sustainable and educating others about sustainable lighting practices.
Purple, green, and teal aurora borealis across night sky filled with stars over landscape with canyon river and mountains in foreground.
Light pollution is no joke. Besides the obvious waste of energy and money, it disrupts wildlife, harms human health (by disrupting our sleep), stops us from seeing the stars around us, and contributes to pollution as a source of “invisible waste,” i.e. the behind-the-scenes energy production required to keep those lights on.
Instead of just turning off all the lights and sulking in your dark house after dinner, DarkSky.Org provides an easy-to-search website listing places you can go away from the hustle and bustle of cities that never sleep to see the magic of our universe in natural darkness. Seeing these places can help you see just how much light can pollute our skies and how glorious they are without it. Check out their website and search by region for a list of Midwest dark sky places (or search around the world)!
In a world that demands constant production though, it’s important to fight for these spaces to stay light-free. That’s why DarkSky.Org works to pass dark-sky-friendly legislation targeting commercial and industrial sources of light pollution, but they also provide resources to the general public on how we can reduce outdoor lighting on our own properties. Using lights only when necessary and in the littlest amount needed and sticking to low, warm lights will help greatly, and you can check out their full list of lighting recommendations and resources on their site as well.
Turning off the lights doesn’t mean turning off the fun, and reducing your lighting at night not only saves energy but helps our planet and our health. Check out a dark sky place on your next vacation and let the stars do all the lighting for you!