According to The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), there are several types of outdoor light fixtures that are ideal in terms of whether they affect the view of the heavens. Some are better than others in terms of energy consumed and light produced. I’ll outline them briefly here:

Finally, the federal government is being drawn into the issue of dark sky lighting. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) estimates that there are currently 2,500 dark sky ordinances throughout the country, all put in place by towns, cities, and counties in an attempt to slow the growth of light pollution in their areas. But so far, the federal government has done very little to help in the fight against light pollution.

Residents of cities and towns across the country are concerned about the lighting in public spaces. Whether they understand the energy implications of inefficient fixtures, are annoyed by glaring lights that flood illumination into their homes, or are star-gazers in search of a way to see what’s above their heads, Americans are tuning into the issue of good exterior lighting more and more.

There are many new legislative developments making an impact on the lighting industry, and for one, I’m glad to see it. Here’s a quick summary of the biggest organizations around:

International Dark-Sky Association

One of our favorites, the International Dark-Sky Association has been lobbying for a reduction in night-time light pollution for many years now. Their work as a nonprofit organization has encouraged many municipalities to adopt dark sky ordinances, which promote the upgrade of public lighting to those with full cut-off design to prevent unnecessary light from polluting dark skies.

US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

Head over to http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080713.html.

This is a composite image taken at Death Valley by the National Park Service. The change in our night sky is changing in dramatic ways much faster than we'd like to believe.

The most common reasons that people choose outdoor lighting solutions are for security, home amenity, work, recreation and marketing. Home amenity would include adding accents to garden spaces or lighting a pathway for you and your guests. Recreation is all about having fun and enjoying our nighttime environment well past dark. When the weather is nice our outdoor spaces become an extra room of the house where we eat, play and entertain.

Whatever reason we have for lighting up our outdoors, the following guidelines will help in determining which types of fixtures to buy. These guidelines are recommended by the International Dark-Sky Association or IDA.

According to the IDA, only use light where and when needed and avoid obtrusive light. Do not waste light and energy and use good transition lighting for the eye to adapt.

The IDA was founded in 1988 in Tucson, Arizona. Learn more about their goals and mission here.

Quality lighting enhances vision and night ambiance, while minimizing glare, light trespass, energy waste and sky glow. To accomplish this shine the light down, don't overlight, avoid glare and use energy efficient light sources.

Shielded fixtures minimize glare, direct up-light and light trespass while controlling light output. An example of an unshielded fixture is a globe light.

Thanks largely to the efforts of the IDA, many communities around the US are enacting outdoor lighting ordinances. According to the IDA, some outcomes of such ordinances include:

Goals of the IDA

1. Stop the adverse effects of light pollution, including;

• Energy waste, and the air and water pollution caused by energy waste
• Harm to human health
• Harm to nocturnal wildlife and ecosystems
• Reduced safety and security
• Reduced visibility at night
• Poor nighttime ambience; and
  
  

2. Raise awareness about light pollution, its adverse effects, and its solutions; and