lights out!

Night, or what is left of it,
in North America.

From parking lots to ball diamonds to our own backyards, we have lit up our nights to the point that we don't really have "night" anymore.  Light seemed like a good idea back when we lived around campfires, but it turns out there really is too much of a good thing.  Our relunctance to deal with the dark has been proven to have a negative impact not just on backyard stargazers and professional astronomers, but on wildlife , and on our own health and safety.  From baby sea turtles crawling away from the ocean instead of into it (due to nearby town lights), to various cancers (due to a decrease in the production of melatonin when exposed to nighttime lights), to safety issues caused by outdoor lights that create glare rather than security, night sky pollution is a serious hazard!  For more information on this topic, and to learn how you can use light without reducing your safety or endangering your health or that of wildlife, check out the website of the International Dark Sky Association, http://www.darksky.org/.

Typical mercury "security"
light that provides
more glare than security.

This organization does not recommend simply turning lights off and living in the dark, but using lights WISELY -- as needed, where needed, and most importantly, with light fixtures that put light where it is needed, rather than shooting it off into the sky (or worse, into your eyes, which keeps you from seeing the very dangers you are trying to expose).  The "frequently asked questions" page is a good starting point. So as always, turn off lights where you can. But where you can't, use the right light.