[OL-Forum] Digest Number 848

[OutdoorLighting-Forum@yahoogroups...]

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There is 1 message in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

      1. Re: Outdoor Lighting as a Belief System
           From: "John Gilkison" <jgilkiso@zianet...>


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Message: 1
   Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 02:06:49 -0600
   From: "John Gilkison" <jgilkiso@zianet...>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Lighting as a Belief System

    Unfortunately, in this world everyone views things throught a
certain medium, which prevents his seeing them in the same light
as others. While this is a quote from "The Count of Monte Cristo"
by Dumas, I think is applies to outdoor lighting as  well as many
other subject.

    I have been thinking for quite some time about outdoor lighting
as a belief system, and like any other belief system it tends to be in-
visible to the believer. In the first place there is the idea that a light
at
night can somehow make you safe which is ridiculous on the face
of it. How could a light see into the heart of good persons and
bad persons and repel only the bad? Who these lights in unattended
spaces are really helping remains a mystery to me!

    The caveman and his fire come to mind, and the primitive roots
of the undefined feeling that you are safer with an outdoor light begins
to make a little bit of sense as some kind of psychological aberration.
One  who lights a piece of ground is literally taking possession of  it
subconsciously speaking.

    Then there is the modern free enterprize system with all its market
place forces coming into full play. A vague undefined sense of insecurity
is a great thing to market products for. Here is something very definitive,
a large powerful light that comes in a big box, you can buy for $20 or
$30, take home a put up, and you can then rest assured you have taken
definitives steps to protect yourself and your family if you will only
beleive it.

    Better still, now you are also consuming a product that helps move
the economy along and creates jobs, that is lighting and electricity. You
are doing your part as a consumer. You are also modern person in the
modern world, ie, a technical person, in that you have employed a technical
solution to a problem, be it a vaguely defined problem in the first place.

    If you don't believe what I am saying you have never faced the anger
of some people who A: think you are questioning the soundness of their
decision to put up lighting in the first place, and B: are trying to take
their lights away from them and expose them and their families to the
dangers of the darkness.

    Trust me on this one, there are some very powerful unquestioned
belief systems out there we are challanging and questioning, as well as
some very powerful economic forces who are becoming threatened
by the advocacy for controlling the use of outdoor lighting.

    The longer I live and more I look at the quaint habits and practices
of some of our citizens the more curiouser and curiouser it all becomes.
One quick example a 175 w HG Vapor light I seen the night mounted
9 or 10 feet high above a garage. The driveway area being lit was
literally a postage stamp as to size. There were large numbers just
below the light so aparently they were doing double duty and lighting
their street address numbers too.

    A 75 watt equvilant output light or, 1,100 lumens would have done
the trick for this lighting job in a Glarebuster preferabily, This means
20 watts tops in a compact fluorescent. If so, this person would have
saved the burning of 750 pounds of coal every year to light their
postage stamp driveway and their address numbers.

    Do any of you believe for one minute this house owners knows
their one light is is generating 1,500 pounds of CO2 that is contributing
to global warming for no apreciabally good reason. Or, if they do,
they may not beleive in global warming. Anyway you look at it they
probabally would look at the situation through a different medium
then many of us, and would see their light in a different light then a
crazy person who cares about dark skies and having the stars in their
skies.

John Gilkison
NPO President






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