"There are so many ways in which energy is wasted, but light pollution must be the most ridiculous" says Green Party Science and Technology Spokesperson
Images created by scientist Felix Pharand-DeschÍnes (1) confirm the extent of light pollution - and so the massive waste of energy - that is taking place every night of the year from the UK, many countries in Europe and the USA.
The images were compiled using data gathered by satellites and also show the sharp contrast between rich western countries and poorer developing countries, particularly in Africa.
James Abbott, Green Party Science and Technology Spokesperson said:
"The Government tells us that we must build more electricity generation capacity, including nuclear power stations "to keep the lights on". What they routinely fail to discuss is the obvious need to cut back on energy wastage as the quickest, most cost effective way of using the energy we already generate more efficiently.
There are so many ways in which energy is wasted, but light pollution must be the most ridiculous. Lighting the sky benefits nobody. This problem is caused by both poor design and control but also poor regulation. So every night of the year the UK has swathes of badly designed lights left on all night and even where lights are of a better design, there are frequent examples of waste such as empty car parks left lit all night, or office blocks blazing away in the small hours, or buildings floodlit well after the time when most people are in bed and so unable to appreciate them.
Sensor and switching controls are available now to make sure we can save energy in lighting - both indoors and outside. More efficient and better directed lighting designs are also available. Yet the Government and many local authorities are doing far too little to ensure that this technology is actually used to maximise energy efficiency and so reduce the need to build ever more generation capacity in the first place. A good starting place would be the planning system, yet all too often national and local policies on lighting are weak or poorly implemented.
A worrying trend is the increasingly intense lighting of city centres. Buildings are lit ever more brightly, lit adverts proliferate and increasingly lasers and "skybeams" are being used. This has been taken to extreme lengths in cities such as Hong Kong, leading to campaigns to turn down the glare so that people can sleep. Yet even as this profligate use of electricity spreads, millions of people in the world do not have the basic resources to live. Arctic sea ice continues to melt. It is a crazy situation.
By using technology to make sure that light is directed to where it is needed, when it is needed, we can reduce wasted energy and this will help in the vital battle against dangerous climate change and lead to other positive benefits including better quality star filled skies and reduced impact on nocturnal wildlife."
The Green Party has long championed the need to reduce the wasted energy that causes light pollution.
The 2010 General Election Manifesto included a commitment to:
Increase the tranquillity of our urban environments, with less litter, less noise, reduced light pollution and more green spaces. Everyone should live within walking distance of natural green space.
The Green Party Policies for a Sustainable Society include:
CY543 The Green Party will introduce legislation to halt and reverse the spread of light pollution in the countryside in order to protect the dark night sky and to minimise disturbance to wildlife from artificial light. There will be a presumption against new lighting in the countryside - this will be incorporated into all Local Development Frameworks. Improved lighting design and the use of more efficient lighting will be required for new developments or replacement of existing lighting. Energy conservation, including the removal or reduction of unnecessary lighting, will be promoted. National policy that encourages local renewable energy installations will be retained, strengthened and enforced.
In 2007 the Greens welcomed the STARLIGHT DECLARATION
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/1802
And in 1994 and 2003, the Greens supported the British Astronomical Association/CPRE campaigns against light pollution.
ENDS
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/light-pollution-how-western-world-1136843