Dark Skies

Help preserve Irvington’s starry nights as well as the nighttime environment that is so important to our quality of life, the villages historic charm and its wildlife.  It is important to raise awareness about light pollution and advocating for environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.

In recent years, cities, towns and small communities across the world have taken part in a radical revolution of our lightbulbs.  Traditional orange- tinged high pressure sodium bulbs are being swapped for more energy-efficient, whiter and brighter LED (light-emitting diode) lights.  But the rise of LED’s is also illuminating new problems for our night sky, as well as our health.

Satellite data shows that our night skies are 25% brighter than they were just ten years ago. The culprit is light pollution- a catchall term for the negative effects of poorly designed or excessive artificial light at night. And it’s not just our view of the stars that’s at stake. Light pollution is: 

• a serious quality of life issue for many, interfering with their sleep and enjoyment of their own property

• eroding the village's historic character 

• harmful to birds, pollinating insects, plants, fish, turtles, geese and other wildlife 

• a waste of energy 

• potentially harmful to human health

Common types of LED lights contain higher proportions of bluer wavelengths which can affect people’s nighttime patterns. They disrupt our circadian rhythms, lower the performance of our immune systems and increase the occurrence of certain diseases, including cancer.

Glare from unshielded lighting is a public health hazard, especially the older you become.  Glare light scattering in the eye causes loss of contrast, sometimes blinds you temporarily and leads to unsafe driving conditions. Glare also prevents us from seeing what is lurking in the shadows therefore compromising our safety and security as well.

Light pollution can get better with LEDs but there has to be a lot of attention paid to the design. Residents need to be educated on solutions from buying a certain type of LED light to making changes that block the glare for the village and individual homes. 

"Dark Skies does not mean dark ground."

Learn more about DarkSky.org