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FRODO fighting for night skies

Friends of the Dark Outdoors to present ideas to council, chamber, other community groups Fifteen dollars worth of tin is usually enough to turn an outdoor light from a blight on the night sky to a blessing for energy conservationists and star gazers

Friends of the Dark Outdoors to present ideas to council, chamber, other community groups

Fifteen dollars worth of tin is usually enough to turn an outdoor light from a blight on the night sky to a blessing for energy conservationists and star gazers, but the public needs to be awakened to the fact, according to Whistler’s Friends of the Dark Outdoors, or FRODO.

Luckily waking people up shouldn’t be a problem – thanks to a growing light pollution problem we aren’t sleeping all that well to begin with.

"It’s a big difference for not an awful lot of cost," said Don Brett, one of the founding members of FRODO.

"We’re not suggesting that there should be no lights anywhere at night, but we could be doing more to put that light on the ground where it belongs, rather than into the sky."

FRODO addressed the monthly AWARE meeting at the Delta Whistler Resort on Thursday, March 4, using the environmental group as a test audience for a presentation on light pollution that they will give to the municipality, the Whistler Chamber of Commerce, the Sea to Sky Construction Association, and other stakeholders.

Brett first became aware of Whistler’s light pollution problem several years ago while he was attempting to do some stargazing with his telescope at Rainbow Park. The lights on the building that houses the public washrooms interfered with his view, and he moved to several locations in town in search of a truly dark night sky. He tried the fields behind the Meadow Park Sports Centre and Lost Lake, but everywhere he went there was too much light.

Back at home, Brett also became aware that a set of motion-activated floodlights belonging to a neighbour were on more than they were off. Passing cars, rain and snow all activated the floodlights, which shone into Brett’s windows.

After discussing the problem with neighbours and other night sky enthusiasts, including Whistler astronomer John Nemy, FRODO was formed. The goal is to educate the public and contractors on the real costs and impacts of light pollution, while nudging the municipality to adopt bylaws and policies to regulate outdoor lighting.

Although FRODO includes several astronomers, the group is adamant that their campaign to save the night sky is not completely self-interested, and can be beneficial to everybody.

One of the biggest problems with light pollution says Nemy is that it often amounts to wasted energy.

"The basic definition of light pollution is shining artificial light sources where it’s not needed or wanted," he said. "Excessive artificial light wastes costly energy, and the growth of energy use causes a burden on the environment.

"According to the research, and there are night sky groups in other places that have really looked into this, light pollution also has a negative effect on human health and well being. It also robs us of the night sky, and our connection with the natural world."

In that sense, Nemy believes that dark skies are part of the attraction of a place like Whistler that promotes its natural beauty along with its recreational opportunities.

According to research on light pollution, pointing night lights directly at the ground with the help of hoods and reflectors will result in brighter walkways while lowering energy costs because lower wattage bulbs can often be used.

Being more aware of light pollution also helps people and planners make better decisions on where to put that light, deciding whether it’s truly necessary in different areas and in what capacity. Many places are already over-lighted, according to FRODO.

As part of their presentation, FRODO showed examples of good lighting, bad lighting, and over-lighting in Whistler, as well as pictures taken in places like Calgary that are working to eradicate light pollution. In some pictures you can compare the impact of hooded streetlights to the old "cobra head" units that are widely used in Canada.

The City of Calgary is already saving more than $2 million a year in energy costs on streetlights, and the project still has a long way to go.

Although Whistler is smaller and has fewer lights than a city like Calgary, most of the sky watchers have noticed an increase in light pollution in recent years. The light pollution results from a number of different sources, including commercial and municipal operations and household outdoor lighting.

In addition to energy waste and sky glow, FORDO is concerned with the issue of "ratcheting" – using lighting for marketing or business purposes. While FRODO understands why businesses use lights to attract customers and promote security, they believe that theses lights can be excessive for these tasks.

Some action has already been taken. Whistler-Blackcomb is turning off most of the lights inside and outside of its lodges at night, as well as other unnecessary lights on the mountains. The municipality has also started to use hooded light fixtures in most places, including new lighted sections of the Valley Trail. The result has been dramatic in these areas, says Nemy.

According to FRODO there are several different types of light pollution. Glare occurs when a light is not shielded in any way and shines in all directions. You can usually take care of glare using "full cut-off lighting", or systems that fully shield the bulb or light source and project the light into a desired area.

Light Trespass occurs when a light shines where it isn’t needed or wanted, such as when an unshielded driveway floodlight shines into neighbouring yards and windows.

Over-lighting is the use of more light than is needed for the job. Up-lighting is any light that isn’t used to illuminate the ground and serves no useful purpose.

For more information on light pollution visit the International Dark Sky Association at www.darksky.org.

To find out more about FRODO and how you can get involved contact John Nemy at stars@nemy.com.