There is a movement underway to have a lighting statute established in
California, in part to remedy this type of thing and preserve the night
sky as a part of humanity's cultural and scientific heritage. This is
critical, because there are a number of municipalities that are unwilling
to to do this on their own.
Hopefully a lighting ordinance would encourage light to be aimed downward
and not in anyone else's eyes, and kept to a reasonable useful level.
That is probably enough to ask overall.
Bruce Jensen
************
--- Michael Linnolt <ml@No-Spam> wrote:
> Last nite I was driving back to the bay from Tahoe after a wonderful
> skiing trip, and late at night the shies were clear, and I could note
> the
> changes in sky conditions as I headed back into town. Most of the Tahoe
> area is very dark, once you get out of the immediate vicinity of the
> towns
> lining the lake shore. Similarly for Hwy 50 as you head back west. A
> little LP in Placerville, but the trouble begins around Cameron Park and
> El Dorado. By the time you are down in Folsom, the skies are actually
> worse than around SF! I could only make out the belt stars in Orion!
>
> I was horrified to see the worst LP-er is the Folsom Auto mall
> complex. This area is several hundred acres of totally unshielded
> mercury
> lamps in a densely packed arrangement. This was late on a Sunday night,
> when nobody is shopping for cars! The glare light was so intense, I had
> to drop my sunvisor and the neighboring apartment complexes were
> illuminated so brightly they had no need for outdoor security
> lighting. Funny. A few lumens saved, I guess.
>
> Doesn't this violate some ordnance or something? Its just such a gross
> violation and intrusion and total waste of energy, unbelievable. Anyone
> know who to contact in Folsom to try to put a stop to that? Lucky I dont
> live anywhere near that, but if such things were to come anywhere around
> SJ, say goodbye to observing at Coe!
>
> Mike
>
>
=====
Cheers,
Bruce Jensen
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Received on Mon Mar 7 11:26:05 2005