Dim the Lights

We visited a neighbor the other day who we are hoping will become a supporter of Westchester Land Trust. He showed us around his property and, as we were walking among some trees, told us of his plans to put up spotlights - up-lights, I think he called them - to illuminate his maples and oaks at night.

I thought: But wouldn't it be nicer if it were dark some of the time? Do we need to brighten everything? It's hard enough to see the stars as it is. Then I saw this, in yesterday's Times. It turns out that too much light at night isn't a great thing. Here's an excerpt:

Nobody wants to go back to dark alleyways, but we also know that man-made light can pollute as well as illuminate. ...

 Huge, electrified cities spread their nighttime glow for miles. On a 9-point scale - with 1 being a truly dark night - New York City ranks as a 9 and most suburbs seldom reach below a 5. Light is so pervasive that during a blackout in Los Angeles, some residents became alarmed at a liquidlike substance that had taken over the sky. It was, of course, the Milky Way.

Maybe I'll clip it and send it to our neighbor.

by Tom Andersen