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EDITORIAL: Let’s not starve for starlight

A uthor James Thurber once said, “There are two kinds of light — the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures.” As Squamish grows, we should be aware of light pollution both on the personal and municipal level.

Author James Thurber once said, “There are two kinds of light — the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures.”

As Squamish grows, we should be aware of light pollution both on the personal and municipal level.

 At first blush, light pollution seems like an inconsequential byproduct of our growth, especially when compared to the seemingly more drastic impact of increasing housing costs, traffic congestion and the potential overuse of our backcountry. But maintaining dark skies is a complex and important consideration that impacts our wellbeing, safety, and wallets, as well as the lives of wildlife.  

Astronomers have long been concerned with our disappearing darkness. 

It is a pervasive problem — 80 per cent of the world lives under light polluted skies.

Currently, the Milky Way is hidden from one-third of humanity, according to the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness. 

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Bright, artificial light glowing from our homes and businesses all night disturbs the natural cycles of nocturnal animals, such as bears and raccoons. Lighting is a major threat to birds that are blinded by it and collide with buildings, or have their flight patterns interrupted. Amphibians depend on natural light cycles to trigger reproduction. 

Of course, we can’t live only in the dark, but we can reduce unnecessary light in Squamish.  The first step to combating light pollution is understanding more light isn’t better, according to Pascal Pillot-Bruhat, of the Royal Astronomy Society of Canada. People believe bright light equates to safety, but numerous studies have proven that isn’t the case. Bright light actually creates more shadows, “and shadows are the perfect spots for people to hide,” Pillot-Bruhat said.  

LED lights are part of the solution for cities and homes because they are efficient and emit directional light, Pillot-Bruhat told The Chief. 

In residential areas, sensor-activated LEDs are best because they dull and brighten as needed.   

And switching to only LEDs would save oodles of cash. 

A study done three years ago estimated $3 billion (yes, with a ‘b’) is spent on lighting North American cities in a wasteful way. 

Many municipalities are getting onboard to combat light pollution. The City of Merritt, for example, has a program to reduce its light pollution. 

The District of Squamish’s new Official Community Plan includes the recommendation that exterior lights should emit the minimum amount of light necessary. Outside lighting should be directed or shielded to illuminate the ground only and to prevent light pollution from encroaching onto adjacent properties, residential areas and environmentally sensitive areas.

Plenty of informative resources on this topic can be found online. Start with Googling “light pollution map” and go from there.

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