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[DSLF] Digest Number 534



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------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are 15 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

      1. Re: New York Times Article
           From: Steve Davis <w2sgd@juno...>
      2. Re: Letter to the Times printed
           From: Gary Citro <callisto@optonline...>
      3. Re: Re: New York Times Article
           From: Anthony Arrigo <Anthony.Arrigo@CampusPipeline...>
      4. Sen. Balboni sends out LP mailing!
           From: Gary Citro <callisto@optonline...>
      5. Revision--Where the Balboni mailing went
           From: Gary Citro <callisto@optonline...>
      6. Re: Sen. Balboni sends out LP mailing!
           From: cwalker@commix...
      7. Lighting Ordinance Question
           From: Anthony Arrigo <Anthony.Arrigo@CampusPipeline...>
      8. Re: Lighting Ordinance Question
           From: "ctstarwchr" <ctstarwchr@aol...>
      9. Fw: NPR Science Friday
           From: "Karolyn Beebe" <keedos@earthlink...>
     10. Re: Digest Number 533
           From: Geoff Dudley <GDudley@Swin...Edu.Au>
     11. Re: Digest Number 533
           From: Yvan Dutil <yvan.dutil@sympatico...>
     12. Re: stickers/posters
           From: Jim McConville <ojim@mac...>
     13. Re: Sen. Balboni sends out LP mailing!
           From: "ctstarwchr" <ctstarwchr@aol...>
     14. RE: Re: stickers/posters
           From: "John Nusbaum" <jnusbaum@bellatlantic...>
     15. Re: stickers/posters
           From: "ctstarwchr" <ctstarwchr@aol...>


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Message: 1
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 12:06:58 -0500
   From: Steve Davis <w2sgd@juno...>
Subject: Re: New York Times Article

Scott and others,

I don't find the billboard slanderous.  It is darn right funny.

Anyway, now you know how other people feel when you talk 
to them about THEIR *@#!$% lights.  Overreaction Plus!

Give it a rest for a few days, and then go back and read
the article again.  The reporter did his job by presenting
BOTH sides of the story even if it leans toward the opposition.
If you read VERY carefully, you can see the counter claims
by the guys wearing the black hats.  Unfortunately, most 
people will miss it. -sd

________________________________________________________________
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Message: 2
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 13:20:32 -0500
   From: Gary Citro <callisto@optonline...>
Subject: Re: Letter to the Times printed

Karolyn wrote:

>>If "collision" was linked to light it was edited out.<<

Indeed it was. Read the e-mail I got from the writer of the letter herself:

>>Sorry about all the errors in the NYT article.  It was great coverage
anyway, even if the specifics were wrong, and it brought the issue to
the attention of thousands of people who otherwise would never have
known about it.  So congratulations!

Speaking of the Times' errors -- on 12/25, they published a letter I
sent in support of the LP bill.  Only they cut the portion of the letter
that explained the connection between night lighting and bird collisions
at illuminated structures. so the letter makes zero sense to anyone who
isn't already familiar with the issue!
--Rebekah<<

And Karolyn, thanks for that weblink below--it's great!
Gary Citro

>> the Toronto Humane 
Society that tells what a good corporate citizen
anywhere should do to help save avian species - 
TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!
http://members.dencity.com/alcatraz/lightkills.html<<








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Message: 3
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 10:33:29 -0700
   From: Anthony Arrigo <Anthony.Arrigo@CampusPipeline...>
Subject: Re: Re: New York Times Article

The author got the facts correct.... then completely missed the boat on his
conclustion.
Save $Billions... Save millions of barrels of oil.. prevent lights shining in
neighbors windows.
Conclusion... This will benefit astronomers.
Well... yeah it will, but... it'll also benefit society as a whole greatly.
I sent an e-mail stating just this to various NY Times e-mail addresses.
Haven't gotten anything but auto-reply messages yet.

APA

Steve Davis wrote:

> Scott and others,
>
> I don't find the billboard slanderous.  It is darn right funny.
>
> Anyway, now you know how other people feel when you talk
> to them about THEIR *@#!$% lights.  Overreaction Plus!
>
> Give it a rest for a few days, and then go back and read
> the article again.  The reporter did his job by presenting
> BOTH sides of the story even if it leans toward the opposition.
> If you read VERY carefully, you can see the counter claims
> by the guys wearing the black hats.  Unfortunately, most
> people will miss it. -sd
>




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Message: 4
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 16:12:15 -0500
   From: Gary Citro <callisto@optonline...>
Subject: Sen. Balboni sends out LP mailing!

At risk of getting edited for length...

In the mail to EVERY Michael Balboni (Senate sponsor of NY Bill) constituent
today, a fabulous flyer 100 percent
dedicated to the Light Pollution issue!

To see what kind of area it covered, go to http://www.senatorbalboni.com and
click on "District Map".
His district ranges from some of the wealthiest and most powerful areas of
the state down to the poverty line, with lots of folks like me in between.

The mailing's striking yellow front cover has an acorn fixture on the left,
and in black "Senator Michael Balboni Reports on"

and in a rectangular field of black with white stars and white lettering
"LIGHT POLLUTION".

This is folded veritically in half. The back:
"Dear neighbor,
Does it seem that the stars are a little less bright these days?  Do you
find yourself squinting to avoid the glare of streetlights?  If so, you are
experiencing some of the side effects of what is called "light pollution" .

Well-meaning attempts to increase security, safety and visibility through
more lighting on roadways, businesses and homes have resulted in an
overabundance of excessive and inefficient lighting.  It seems that we are
being blinded by light that is oversized, unnecessarily bright, poorly
directed, and wasteful. Light pollution has become an increasing nuisance
which intrudes on our privacy, deprives us of sleep, disturbs nocturnal
ecosystems, and most importantly, wastes valuable energy.

This year, legislation I sponsored adressing the environmental impact of
light pollution was overwhelmingly passed by both the Senate and the
Assembly.  For the first time New York is going to look at light the same
way it does water, air and noise--as a potential pollutant.
Please take a moment to review the information inside which explains light
pollution and offers helpful ideas on how to reduce wasteful lighting.
Michael Balboni

INSIDE:
Does it seem that the stars are a little less bright these days? (Again in a
rectangular field of black in white lettering with white stars in
background)

DID YOU KNOW?
*  Inefficient and misdirected lighting wastes over $2 billion annually
nationwide, according to the New England Light Pollution Advisory Group.
*  There are currently 13 Long Island municipalities and six states with
lighting ordinances.
* "Light Trespass" occurs when poor outdoor lighting shine onto neighboring
properties and windows, thereby reducing privacy and hindering sleep.
* "Sky glow" refers to the hazy glow in the sky caused by excessive and
misdirected artificial light reflecting off airborne particles, dust and
water droplets.
*  Senator Balboni's light pollution legislation provides for better
management of outdoor lighting by state agencies, local governments,
businesses and homeowners.  "Dark areas" to enhance stargazing would also be
designated.
For further information visit www.darksky.org, www.selene-ny.org, or
http://www.members.aol.com.ctstarwchr.

Then  "Examples of some common lighting fixtures"
(Several diagrams of good and bad lighting from NELPAG, see IDA links to see
them, www.darksky.org)

Then, framed in an incandescent bulb diagram--
BRIGHT IDEAS
*  Refit outdoor lighting fixtures with shielded, directed lighting.
*  Carefully install lighting to maximize effectiveness and minimize light
trespass.
*  Light should focus downward, not upward and outward.
*  Use lighting with motion sensors.
*  Replace flood lights with spot lights.
*  Replace older incandescent bulbs with newer high-efficiency bulbs.
*  Use timers for outdoor and holiday lights.
*  Use lower wattage bulbs for outdoor lighting.

Visit http://www.Senatorbalboni.com to participate in my online "Light
Pollution" Survey.

(Note: On the site it says that the survey only tabulates responses from
people in his district.)

So....at least for *me locally*,   the educational provision of the NY bill
has been far outdone!

Gary Citro




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Message: 5
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 17:03:53 -0500
   From: Gary Citro <callisto@optonline...>
Subject: Revision--Where the Balboni mailing went

That wonderful Balboni constituent piece I posted went to 42,000 households.
The other 45,000 did not get it. "Too expensive".

They can't tell me specifically where it went or didn't go.
Bit of a bummer.

Gary Citro




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Message: 6
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 17:49:23 -0500
   From: cwalker@commix...
Subject: Re: Sen. Balboni sends out LP mailing!

Gary et al:

	Thanks for your efforts in New York.

	Would it be possible to collect a few of these mailers and send them to 
those of us who'd like to replicate the graphics arts and text of this mailer? 
One possibility would be to store the panels/pages in PDF format and send 
them as attachments to this listserve. If that isn't possible, I'd appreciate 
receiving a few and I'll do the capture and display them on the web site I 
sponsor, www.qualityoutdoorlighting.com.

	Address: Chris Walker
			   c/o Walker and Co.
	              12007 Sunrise Valley Dr. S. 400
                    Reston, VA 20191

	Keep up the good work!


From:           	Gary Citro <callisto@optonline...>
Date sent:      	Thu, 27 Dec 2001 16:12:15 -0500

In the mail to EVERY Michael Balboni (Senate sponsor of NY Bill) constituent
today, a fabulous flyer 100 percent dedicated to the Light Pollution issue!




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Message: 7
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 14:17:08 -0700
   From: Anthony Arrigo <Anthony.Arrigo@CampusPipeline...>
Subject: Lighting Ordinance Question

Hi

I just got a reply from someone at the Salt Lake City Council.
They of course understood and appreciated my concern with community
issues :)
I was told that "The City has had a lighting policy that followed the
Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) guidelines in
the RP-8 Roadway Lighting guidelines".
Is anybody familiar with these guidlines? Are they current or way
outdated?
Thanks!

APA




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Message: 8
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 23:56:19 -0000
   From: "ctstarwchr" <ctstarwchr@aol...>
Subject: Re: Lighting Ordinance Question

--- In DarkSky-list@y....., Anthony Arrigo <Anthony.Arrigo@C.....> wrote:
> I was told that "The City has had a lighting policy that followed
> the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES)
> guidelines in the RP-8 Roadway Lighting guidelines".
>
> Is anybody familiar with these guidlines? Are they current or way
> outdated?

Anthony:

The IES revisits most of their recommended practices every few 
years.  The current RP-8 is now considered "The American National 
Standard for Roadway Lighting" and it was last published in late 
August of 2000.  It is RP-8-00 "Roadway Lighting ANSI Approved."

Regarding your question about being *way outdated* this all depends 
on which release of the RP-8 your community has adopted.  If it is 
the RP-8-83 or RP-8-94 then yes, it is way outdated and the latest 
copy should be procured by the City.

<https://www.iesna.org/shop/item-detail.cfm?ID=RP-8-00&storeid=1>

Although RP-8 is a good guideline for continuous roadway lighting, 
more appropriate recommended practice complements for general outdoor 
lighting are the RP-33-99, "Lighting for Exterior Environments"

<https://www.iesna.org/shop/item-detail.cfm?ID=RP-33-99&storeid=1>

And the RP-20-98, "Lighting for Parking Facilities" publications.

<https://www.iesna.org/shop/item-detail.cfm?ID=RP-20-98&storeid=1>

Some people purchase copies of these publications and donate them to 
their towns' Planners and/or Zoning Boards.  It is cheap insurance to 
guarantee these community officials are up to speed with the latest 
IESNA publications.  Hope this helps!

Clear skies and good seeing,
Keep looking up!

Cliff Haas
http://members.aol.com/ctstarwchr




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Message: 9
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 17:49:51 -0600
   From: "Karolyn Beebe" <keedos@earthlink...>
Subject: Fw: NPR Science Friday

Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2001 2:13 PM
Subject: NPR Science Friday


> Tomorrow NPR's "Talk of the Nation: Science Friday" will
> feature a discussion of the human body's reaction to
> disruptions of normal cycles. Cited in a lead-in just now
> was the study that linked increased breast cancer risk and
> shift workers, possibly because of the effects of light.
> 
> The program airs at 2 EST, and I believe the discussion will
> be on in the first hour.
> 
> General info at: http://www.npr.org/programs/scifri/
> 
> TOTN/SF is a call-in show, btw: 1-800-989-TALK
> 
> Email: scifri@npr... 
> 
> John McMahon





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Message: 10
   Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2001 11:04:10 +1100
   From: Geoff Dudley <GDudley@Swin...Edu.Au>
Subject: Re: Digest Number 533

> Message: 3
>    Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2001 13:05:04 -0500
>    From: Yvan Dutil <yvan.dutil@sympatico...>
> Subject: Light and crime
>
> I was working on presentation for my local city concil and I wanted to add
> more information about light and crime since the concil member responsible of
> this issue are
> women (for whom this issue is espacialy sensitive).[snip]

Yvan, see also this excellent document which is in the files area of the Dark-sky
list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DarkSky-list/files/Crime/Lp40.PDF

It was written by my good friend, Dr Barry Clark.

gd
gdudley@swin....au



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Message: 11
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 20:15:10 -0500
   From: Yvan Dutil <yvan.dutil@sympatico...>
Subject: Re: Digest Number 533

Thank's for your help. Unfortunately, I am been unable to download this file
since it seems that I do not have any identity on this server.


By the way, Could you resume the linghting plan of Sydney in few key point.
I think it promote cutt-off and full cut-off  light, curfew and dark-sky park but
I would like more detail. I think that if I even buy the city pamphlet I will never
get in time for my meeting with the city concelor.

Best regards,

Yvan Dutil

Geoff Dudley a écrit :

> > Message: 3
> >    Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2001 13:05:04 -0500
> >    From: Yvan Dutil <yvan.dutil@sympatico...>
> > Subject: Light and crime
> >
> > I was working on presentation for my local city concil and I wanted to add
> > more information about light and crime since the concil member responsible of
> > this issue are
> > women (for whom this issue is espacialy sensitive).[snip]
>
> Yvan, see also this excellent document which is in the files area of the Dark-sky
> list:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DarkSky-list/files/Crime/Lp40.PDF
>
> It was written by my good friend, Dr Barry Clark.
>
> gd
> gdudley@swin....au
>
> _________________________________________________
> To subscribe to the DarkSky List Forum send email
> to:  DarkSky-list-subscribe@yahoogroups...
>
> Help save your town from obtrusive lighting --
> invite your planning and zoning department to
> join us!  Ask them to visit the IDA website at
> http://www.darksky.org today!
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/



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Message: 12
   Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 21:34:53 -0800
   From: Jim McConville <ojim@mac...>
Subject: Re: stickers/posters

Greetings,

I would like to find some light pollution posters or stickers, I can print
out and use to help raise my neighbor's consciousness about lighting
concerns. I live out in the sticks and everyone has an eyeball burner yard
light or a spotlight. No one here seems to use motion sensors. Cheap
offshore HID fixtures are the norm.

In visiting local hardware, home improvement and electrical supply houses,
I find that sensible light fixtures are available only on special order and
one must ask to see specialty catalogs. Nothing on display is worth a damn.

I spoke with some local politicos about light pollution and they responded
with "what's that?" sort of comments. They said they never had a single
complaint about too much light in the wrong place.

I feel somewhat discouraged. Maybe I should buy a big mother spotlight and
take turns shining up my neighbors. Get their attention, perhaps.

Yours, brightly,nightly
Jim McConville

Jackson County, Oregon
ojim@mac...



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Message: 13
   Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2001 14:31:48 -0000
   From: "ctstarwchr" <ctstarwchr@aol...>
Subject: Re: Sen. Balboni sends out LP mailing!

--- In DarkSky-list@y....., cwalker@c..... wrote:
> 	Would it be possible to collect a few of these mailers
> and send them to those of us who'd like to replicate the graphics
> arts and text of this mailer? 
> One possibility would be to store the panels/pages in PDF format
> and send them as attachments to this listserve.

Greetings:

Thanks to Gary Citro I was able to reproduce Senator Balboni's mail 
flier in portable document file (PDF) format on 8-1/2 x 14" paper.  
It now resides in the DarkSky List Forum in the Files > Presentation 
folder.

Sign in with your YahooID and Forum access password to view and/or 
print it.  You will need the Adobe Acrobat browser plug-in that is 
available to download without charge at:  http://www.adobe.com

<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DarkSky-list/files/Presentation/BalboniFlier.pdf>

This mail flier was sent to 42,000 constituents of NY Senator Michael 
Balboni.  Scans were contributed by Gary Citro.


Clear skies and good seeing,
Keep looking up!

Cliff Haas
Chair Light Pollution Education
Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford
http://members.aol.com/copernicanview

Light Pollution Awareness Website
http://members.aol.com/ctstarwchr





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Message: 14
   Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2001 09:38:48 -0500
   From: "John Nusbaum" <jnusbaum@bellatlantic...>
Subject: RE: Re: stickers/posters


>I spoke with some local politicos about light 
>pollution and they responded with "what's that?" 
>sort of comments. They said they never had a single
>complaint about too much light in the wrong place.
>
>I feel somewhat discouraged. Maybe I should buy a 
>big mother spotlight and take turns shining up my 
>neighbors. Get their attention, perhaps.
>
>Yours, brightly,nightly
>Jim McConville

Jim,

A couple years ago I heard the same statements about never had a single
complaint from the Virginia Department of Transportation.  I had to
assume that it was true!  So I started a letter writing campaign.  They
can't use that one against me any more!

Most folks never write or get their neighbors to write.  We talk,
complain, feel dejected, etc.  Anything but take a few minutes to write
about things that we believe in.

That would be one of the first places to start getting attention.

In terms of info, handouts, etc ... The IDA at www.darksky.org has about
as much information about light pollution and its solutions as you could
hope to find anywhere.  Dig though the site and you'll probably find
what you are looking for.

Best wishes,

John Nusbaum
Virginia Outdoor Lighting Taskforce
www.volt.org






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Message: 15
   Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2001 15:10:03 -0000
   From: "ctstarwchr" <ctstarwchr@aol...>
Subject: Re: stickers/posters

Hi Jim:

We have programmed a number of very helpful presentation items into 
this Forum specifically intended for the purpose of helping people 
like you who wish to use good materials for reaching out to inform 
others by raising awareness.  You will find these features in the 
Presentation folders of both the Bookmarks and the Files sections of 
this Forum.

This interface really is not a listserv, mistakenly labeled with that 
description by some people -- including IDA.  Listservs offer no 
features and they can only broadcast messages.  Instead, this Forum 
is actually a large interactive Light Pollution reference library 
that was carefully engineered to affect proactive obtrusive outdoor 
lighting reform and also achieve autonomous municipal change.  To 
that end it has been very successful for a number of communities 
already and many more will follow in the future.

To access the reference library and other resources in this Forum you 
must first *Sign In* with your YahooID (franckhertz) and your system 
password.  The Forum home page appears on the Internet at the 
following location, but unlike most websites, it is a restricted 
access password driven site that will not allow access beyond the 
home page if one is not properly *signed in* to the YahoooGroups 
system.  Visit the following location to sign in.  

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DarkSky-list

Visiting this location is not the same as actually signing in to the 
system.  Click on the "Sign In" link and enter your YahooID and 
password.  Navigate through the various locations by using the screen 
menus located at the left hand side of the page.  Use your browser's 
Back button to close any viewed documents and return to the Forum.

Anyone needing assistance to establish their YahooID may contact the 
Forum Moderators at the following address:

darksky-list-owner@yahoogroups...

You will also find a number of very helpful resources at my Light 
Pollution Awareness Website located on the Internet at:

http://members.aol.com/ctstarwchr

Good luck with your efforts and keep up the good work!  Most of all, 
do not get disappointed if your first attempts do not produce 
immediate results.  Be patient and understanding because the concepts 
usually do not sink in right away with many people.  Sound logic and 
a calm approach offering help to improve visibility on their property 
usually works best.


Clear skies and good seeing,
Keep looking up!

Cliff Haas
http://members.aol.com/ctstarwchr


--- In DarkSky-list@y....., Jim McConville <ojim@m.....> wrote:
> 
> I would like to find some light pollution posters or stickers,
> I can print out and use to help raise my neighbor's consciousness
> about lighting concerns.




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Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/