Restoring Darkness

In John’s case, bad lighting literally makes him sick. John has photophobia, which is a bit of a misnomer. He’s not afraid of light like someone is afraid of heights. Bright, artificial light gives him intense headaches, feelings of sickness and can bother his eyes so much that he can’t keep them open. Grade school was a challenge for him as he just couldn't concentrate. The next time you see a kid in school fidgeting and disrupting, consider how the lights might be impacting him. John is from Vancouver British Columbia, growing up there and in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and now lives in Davis, California. He has been a reservoir oil engineer and a water resources control engineer. He is retired and now writes and records music for film and TV. 

Highlights from this episode:

Sponsored by Evluma

https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle 

Headlines and Sources can be found at www.restoringdarkness.com

Nick raises a good point: We all know some lighting designers, but how many lighting planners do you know? These people think differently about the context of lighting - transportation safety, environment, and the impact on livability and the quality of life that outdoor light at night will have on us. Are we stuck with 4000k LED street lighting? Can we turn this ship around? Nick Mesler is a Director at Evari Consulting, where he takes a data-driven approach to achieving positive street lighting design, livable communities, and active transportation outcomes. Nick considers himself a “plangineer” and prides himself in understanding both the big picture forethought and honest realities of implementation necessary to bring successful projects to life. Nick specializes in transportation safety, with a background in mobility planning and transportation operations. Nick has worked on large street lighting projects across the United States. Nick is a registered Civil Engineering PE in Oregon and Washington and a registered Traffic Engineer in California. He frequently presents and participates in events through the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP). He is a member of the IES Outdoor Nighttime Environment Committee and the IES Roadway Lighting Committee. Nick is regarded as an authority on lighting for transportation safety. 

Highlights from this episode:
 - Orbital Debris
 - TV Before Bed
 - Hurricane Recovery
 - Local Debates

Sponsored by Evluma
https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle

Headlines and Sources can be found at www.RestoringDarkness.com

Light should radiate outwards. That is Mark’s and the Soft Lights Foundation’s contention. LED’s by their nature radiate inwards, more like a laser than a traditional light source. As Mark says, is that really how we should be illuminating our living rooms and streets? Visit the Soft Lights Foundation (softlights.org)

Highlights from this episode:
 - SoftLights’ New Petition
 - Health Standards
 - Bridges
 - The Arctic Circle

Sponsored by  @evlumaledlighting3712  
https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle 

Headlines and Sources:
Soft Lights Petitions EPA for LED Regs
https://www.softlights.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Compliance-with-21-USC-360ii.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR18ItOkmrEND-jgmB4Mgy2uX9oTVQb-9ViQjAemvDxgVJ5iCnwlTg7We-o_aem_DJmw1bjhudlpE5Z3z_Azhw

Fitwel Healthy Buildings Standard Alters Lighting Reqs
https://www.lightnowblog.com/2024/07/lighting-changes-in-the-fitwel-healthy-building-standard-v3/

DSI to Collab with LUCI
https://darksky.org/news/illuminating-the-path-to-sustainable-cities/

DLC Surveys on Lighting Bylaws
https://www.ecmweb.com/lighting-control/article/55122198/outdoor-lighting-bylaws-and-ordinances-quiz

New Call to Improve Sleep Quality in Children's Hospitals
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00431-024-05660-x

Eindhoven U Proposes Treatment for DST Lag
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-65705-x#Sec2

LPTMM in Altmunster
https://x.com/andhaenel/status/1812970416274874493

Øvre Pasvik National Park is Norway's First Dark Sky Park
https://darksky.org/news/first-international-dark-sky-park-designated-in-norway/


Warrumbungle National Park May Be Australia's First Urban Night Sky Park
https://www.pittwateronlinenews.com/Australia-First-Urban-Night-Sky-Park-May-be-HERE.php

Balancing Decorative Lighting and Ecology on the Samuel de Champlain Bridge
https://www.arch-products.com/architectural-lighting/article/55092807/creating-a-nighttime-presence

Longthorpe Footbridge over the A47 road in the UK Picks 1800K LEDs
https://designinglightingglobal.com/longthorpe-footbridge-illuminated-with-innovative-1800k-led-technology/

Great Neck, NY LED Injunction Moves Forward
https://islandnow.net/new-documents-filed-in-great-neck-led-lighting-case/

And then the Great Neck, NY Board of Trustees Pass Bond to Buy More LEDs
https://islandnow.net/village-great-neck-passes-just-case-led-bond-resolution/

Phoenix, AZ Offers Business Owners Free CPTED Advice
https://hoodline.com/2024/07/new-online-cpted-guide-equips-phoenix-business-owners-with-crime-prevention-strategies/

Brunswick County, NC Goes Amber on Beaches for the Turtles
https://article.wn.com/view/2024/07/11/How_a_Brunswick_beach_town_is_lighting_the_way_to_protect_se/

Ocracoke, NC Explains Darkness to Tourists
https://coastalreview.org/2024/07/ocracoke-visitors-share-their-success-in-dimming-the-lights/

Traverse City, MI School Has Not Complied with the Terms of a Civil Lawsuit over Light Trespass
https://www.yahoo.com/news/hearing-school-lights-case-set-123300410.html

VA DoT Holds Public Hearing on Lighting Near Afton Mountain
https://www.yahoo.com/news/hearing-school-lights-case-set-123300410.html

Pittsburgh Man Invents Self-Tinting Windshield
https://www.lelezard.com/en/news-21447429.html

Awareness. That is what light pollution needs. Awareness on the part of the consumer and the supplier. Tim Ryan is a landscape lighting designer who is aware of light pollution. A good designer is not looking for the brightest LED. It’s about nuance, balance, layering, and texture. As Tim says, “a little bit of light goes a long way.” Tim is The Lighthouse Group executive director, one of the principal lighting designers for the Lighthouse Design Studio and the professional photographer documenting all of the finished projects for our group. He has been on this “lighting ride” for 27 years, starting with integrated lighting into his landscape designs from the very beginning and 5 years later moving into the outdoor lighting business solely after falling in love with the mood, magic and totally new perspective that the illuminated garden space provides. He’s been with Lighthouse since 2015 and is passionate about educating the next generation of outdoor lighting designers for the future of this art. 

One thing leads to another. Jessica’s family's favorite place is Joshua Tree National Park. There she likes to sneak out of the tent at night and look up at the stars. Living in the city and knowing what they’re missing there, she dove deeper into the subject of Light pollution. That brought her to FLAP Canada and discovering that the Lights Out movement really started there. Not only that, it was children and teachers that brought it to light. And so she thought it fitting to point that out in her book, “Lights Out: A Movement To Help MIgrating Birds.”

Jessica Stremer is an award-winning children’s author who combines her love of science and writing to create books that inspire kids to explore and think critically about the world around them. Her other titles include GREAT CARRIER REEF (a Cook Prize Silver Medalist and NY Public Library Best Book of the Year), FIRE ESCAPE: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires (a JLG Gold Standard selection), PLIGHT OF THE PELICAN: How Science Saved a Species, TRAPPED IN THE TAR PIT, and WONDERFULLY WILD. Jessica obtained a B.S. in Biology, with an emphasis in Ecology, from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She was a recipient of the 2023 Stephen Fraser Encouragement Award and 2023 finalist for the Russel Freedman award. When not writing you can find Jessica cheering from the sideline of her kids’ soccer games, spending time outdoors, and planning her next family adventure. Find Jessica's book here.

Highlights from this episode:
 - Regulators
 - Diabetes
 - Florida
 - Ads In Space

Sponsored by  Evluma
https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle 

Headlines and Sources at https://restoringdarkness.com/

Highlights from this episode:

Sponsored by Evluma

https://evluma.com/dark-sky-friendly-lighting/

Intro and outro music by Doctor Turtle 

Headlines and Sources can be found at RestoringDarkness.com