New LED lights may be causing more light pollution, washing out our view of the stars

The national push for more efficient lighting is driven by a quest for energy efficiency. But there’s an unintended consequence: light pollution. Experts say the amount of wasted light in the sky is on pace to double every eight years. CBS News environmental correspondent David Schechter reports.
#news #led #stars
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[@kellyt2018]

I agree. I am sad to lose stars. Even auto headlights are blindingly too bright.

[@stbrian1861]

Same here. Please do a google search for Ban Blinding Headlights Petition. They've got nearly 49,000 signatures !

[@jm5390]

There is something surreal and humbling about being under a dark sky. You look up and see countless stars and celestial objects trillions of miles and thousands to tens of thousands light years away and realize how small you are and that you're looking back into time. I took the night sky for granted as a kid (grew up in rural Texas) and now as an adult I miss being able to look up and see constellations like Orion, Scorpius, or Andromeda.

[@punapeter]

That's too bad. In my yard I can see BILLIONS of stars out here in the middle of the Pacific. Left the city lights decades ago.

[@KingNP41]

Same for me… I live on a farm in Texas about 15+ minutes from town and I can see the stars almost every night (except on cloudy nights)

[@punapeter]

@@KingNP41 15 feet from my seat, I can walk outside off the lanai and the sky is the clearest on the planet. That's why there's a half dozen observatories up on the mountain at 14K'. We take stars for granted. Rainbows, shooting stars, UFOs. No chem-trails, they forgot to mention them.

[@KingNP41]

@@punapeter that’s cool… and yeah, I agree we all take the stars for granted… when I got into astrophotography and the Milky Way in genera I suddenly had a way greater appreciation for the Milky Way and the stars… I now love going outside at night and looking at the stars… no better feeling… stinks tho that there might be a future where that won’t be possible (I hope it doesn’t happen)

[@punapeter]

@@KingNP41 I remember many places I lived, especially cities where I couldn't see any. But whenever I came back over here I was reminded WHY it's the Best Place on the Planet. The Milky Way from the view laying on my back on the curved bridge over my koi ponds will swallow you up into the cosmos. And then, IF you want to see crazy things, the UHH Astronomy Center in town take tours up to the telescope first of every month. Like today. We have no billboards, casinos, heavy industry, skyscrapers or even street lights in my subdivision. Rural jungle. Black lava and dark green vegitation, all you see is celestial lights. But a better closer light show? A 150' fountain of molten lava. THAT! puts Burning Man to shame. Speaking of which....

[@albertshin3936]

That's because you're in puna big island probably growing copious amount of puna butter. Lmao. You're lucky.

[@Rickets1911]

LED headlights are causing accidents. That much is true. The light they put off is the definition of quantity over quality

[@stbrian1861]

I agree with you. Please do google search for ban blinding headlights petition. They have nearly 49,000 signatures !

[@khaldon9711]

There are so many solutions for this problem.

[@madbug1965]

I hate LED headlights. They are the equaliant to high beams....

[@stbrian1861]

Same here, please look up on google search... Ban Blinding Headlights Petition. They have nearly 49000 signatures !!

[@Jose-sy1je]

I can't even sleep ever since they installed these lights in my apartment building. Turns the night into day and shines in through the window at full force at night. Needless to see that I can't see any stars anymore at night. Why this is allowed despite the concerns is beyond me.

[@LoveForBluebirds]

Get blackout curtains

[@garysinnott340]

I'm 60 and living in a town of about 10,000. Apart from that time we had a power cut, the last time I saw the Milky Way from anywhere in or near my town, I was a teen. The only Milky Way people know of round here these days is a chocolate bar - and that's not good. Trouble is, our local council only recently changed street lighting from low pressure Sodium (orange) to white LEDs. Cheap ones which sometimes turn blue (with some UV) as the phosphor coating dissolves or burns off. Would be nice to see a proper night sky from here again...

[@wjksea]

Yep, more people, more crime, more lights, more cameras. It’s tough to get away with anything and then with all the social media, so much light is shed people are getting indicted.

[@madenaraputra6887]

Please using of LED with CCT no more than of 3000K for star observation on the night sky

[@JGnLAU8OAWF6]

Even 3000K ones have a nasty blue peak in their spectrum.

[@lastofthemohicans1]

Cities need to start blackout nights occasionally

[@olifante1035]

We have that in South Africa. Not a good idea.

[@myrrhavm]

California rolling brown outs are almost normal. Too many people and not enough electricity. Sadly they’re in just small areas of town where more people live than should be. If they did nights without lights here, crime would be tenfold what it is. Be too dangerous.

[@lastofthemohicans1]

@@olifante1035 why is that? Talking business and public lighting. Not all power

[@toomanycactus3138]

This isn’t just cause of led’s. In hey Arnold his grandpa poured water on the lamps to see the comet. 70 yrs later Arnold smashed out the streetlights lights to see the comet

[@sniffles8655]

Arnold: Hey Grandpa I've got a problem! Grandpa: Shoot it at me, short man! 😂

[@kevintolbert3207]

😊 7:49

[@MAG320]

Our society was supposed to have 19th century light fixtures which were designed specifically to compliment the night sky.

[@brendatenorio5721]

Interrupts turtle navigation as well.

[@JS-yj7ow]

I’ve complained about the new LED lamps as soon as they were installed. They’re insidious. From underneath, the halo is so bright even though they are directed downward, you can’t see anything but a couple of the brightest stars. They flunk safety too. The contrast is so high, you’re eyes are light saturated obliterating any shadow definition. I hadn’t considered the reflected light, but so true. A convolution of pencil neck bureaucrats, and overeager engineers. Another reason I hate Portland. For a city that tries to cloak itself in green credentials, in practice, it’s a abject failure, but they talk a good story, and people buy it.

[@wjksea]

Hmmmm, not the experience I’ve had at all. I live in Seattle and the city has a very notably darker sky since LEDs replaced glaring orange sodium vapor. Still it’s a city, not a remote arid desert.

[@FurthermoreJack]

To save money and have it blow up in your face in a puff of white chemical

[@wjksea]

@@FurthermoreJack you mean sodium vapor, mercury vapor, fluorescent? Fluorescent tubes have or used to have a powdery film coated on the inside of the tube to refract light. Without it, an arc of white light, like a thunderbolt runs from one pole to the other inside the tube. Kind of cool.

[@BRISTOLFORCE2009]

@@wjkseayea they are better, everyone needs to know LED’s are garbage

[@mimimimek3488]

​@@wjkseain my village only a few got replaced by leds but I'm noticing a bit more stars, I don't know whos in the right here

[@xItzSpruce]

In Finland they used amber ones before but they switched to bright leds. I hope they would add amber colored lights and covers to them

[@WayneKitching]

My experience (in South Africa) with LED street lights is that they have less glare. More of their light shines down with less going to the sides. So these would be BETTER for astronomy. I am sure it depends more on the luminaire that the technology.

[@bradfordjhart]

It would be great if they just had motion sensors and only turned on if people were nearby

[@Mexisaxrokr]

My issue has been that it is much more difficult to filter out light from LEDs. With sodium lights you can easily buy a filter that basically removes the light pollution that lamp produces. Not so with LEDs

[@teresashinkansen9402]

The problem is that while they are more directional they are much much brighter than older lights and have a significant amount of blue light that is scattered more easily. I wish there was an international organization that regulated street lighting to preserve the sky and creatures affected by such. I think they should be highly directional, less bright and with a warmer spectrum.

[@doverbeachcomber]

I doubt the light source (LED vs. incandescent) is the key. Far more important in reducing light pollution is the shape of the lamp enclosures. Streetlights seem particularly stupidly designed. Ideally a streetlight should direct all its illumination downward onto the objects that humans need to be able to see at night - cars, pedestrians, roadways, and possible hazards. Yet year after year, new lights are installed that direct lots of light skyward. It’s as if no one’s even trying to apply common sense to the design task; people are getting paid to make the same mistakes again and again - and the public has to pay for it all, in both wasted money and disappearing stars.

[@michaeltrower741]

Here in Houston, I have to go to the planetarium to see the stars.

[@derrickrr5516]

Now I’d like to see someone grow a pair and do a video on how much dog barking, bass and combustion engines raises our heart rates and anxiety levels.

[@Shaolin91z]

Be what you want to see

[@junglie]

Barking dogs are real noise pollution, owners faults entirely leaving them in yards/gardens all day when they're out at work.

[@andoniades]

I haven't seen stars from my home since the 80's, before the town became expanded with new development

[@lorina8699]

LED hurt my eyes. I will never use this weapon

[@heatherkaye8653]

When they came through my neighborhood and replaced all of our high pressure sodium lamps was with LEDs it was so much brighter they easily could just replace every other lamp. It will save money, and it would be just as bright.

[@BRISTOLFORCE2009]

Replacing the sodium’s especially working ones was the country’s first mistake

[@whiqeddik7615]

Too bad people weren't afraid of their own shadows more than they are afraid of the dark

[@punapeter]

are ya?

[@whiqeddik7615]

@@punapeter did I offend you or your night light?

[@SnackAttack6]

Wow this is devastating 😢

[@dispatchdebbie]

One of things loved about Oro Valley AZ ❤

[@jpadicecoffee9812]

People, the Milkway core is only brown, purple, and colorful after a camera takes the pictures. When you look at the core with your own eyes, if you are lucky to be in a dark place, it's all white stars(except for the red Arcturus eg) and black space. Amazing still.

[@jm5390]

I think my favorite part of looking at the Milky Way under a really dark sky (Bortle scale 1-3) is seeing the structure caused by dark dust clouds blocking out the light of stars behind them. But agree, you won't see colors but the shape and fuzzy star clusters embedded in it are amazing.

[@judyrothenberger7121]

It is sad that peolle don't see cool galaxies as much as they used to. I'm about to tear up

[@BRISTOLFORCE2009]

Bring back high pressure sodium lamps, LED’s suck and this is one of their problems

[@cavariusavery6637]

And ceramic metal halide and incandescent light bulbs....they will come back but will take a while...but they should be made better quality so that they last longer

[@BRISTOLFORCE2009]

@@cavariusavery6637 I’m counting on trump to bring them back

[@BDuffinMan]

@@BRISTOLFORCE2009 Trump is the last person to care about anything environment related

[@BRISTOLFORCE2009]

@@BDuffinMan FACTS

[@myrrhavm]

Back in the 80s when the housing boom was happening in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. They originally had a bill saying no lots smaller than a half acre and no street lights to keep it rural. As more and more people moved out there they complained the lots were too big and it was too dark. Never mind they also complained about the smell of farms. That’s like moving to New York or LA and complaining about the high rises. Morons. Use to go to Mexico every other month to help out at a deaf school doing maintenance with a church group. It was in the middle of nowhere an hour South of Tecate. A new guy came along onetime. One thing we used to do was sit out at night after a long day and stare at the sky. We were discussing all the stars pointing out satellite’s and meteors as we normally did and would mention all the Bible verses that mention the heavens when he said we’d probably see more if there wasn’t the cloud blocking them. We all said what cloud. He replied, don’t you see that misty milky stuff in the sky. That’s when we told him those were all stars and what he was looking at was the Milky Way. For about five minutes he kept saying those are stars? as we kept saying, those are stars, those are stars? Those are stars. Those are stars? Those are stars. That happened both nights we were there. Still today five six years later when I see him he brings it up saying it was one trip he’d never forget. I sit outside every night with my dog and stare at the sky. Happened to see Star link satellites separating twice now. Pretty amazing sight. Where I live is hard to catch satellites or meteors. Once in a while I’ll see ISS pass by. Been wanting to move back to the country for several years now. Here in California it’s a four or five hour drive to get away from light pollution.

[@user-xk6hf7ec8u]

i live in a german city and have never seen the milky way.

[@xItzSpruce]

I live in bortle 8 location. But theres bortle 5 20 minute drive from home. There you can see milkyway. I hate those lights. They should be properly shielded and face down

[@Insomnia19101]

It’s so sad I’m jealous of people who get to see the stars

[@stbrian1861]

Real MEN aren't scared of a little darkness. Only Cowards are terrified of the dark.

[@prismwashere]

Annnd you have to PAY to remote camp under dark skies

[@thatomofolo452]

Fax 💯

[@nunyabiznez666]

Why would anyone be opposed to changing the lights? You can still see, and it helps with astronomy, the environment, and our health? 0_o

[@christopherdollbaum8819]

Farthest "corners" of the Universe? The Universe has "corners"? seems misleading...

[@michaeltrower741]

Yep, square corners.

[@jm5390]

It's a phrase meaning farthest distances known or observed, not literal corners like on a table.

[@lucassevey5989]

It's a metaphor

[@shadowcaster111]

Alexa set the light to 5 % problem solved

[@Appsmmogamer]

This is a problem why?

[@copernicofelinis]

"Fatti non foste per viver come bruti, ma per seguir virtute e canoscenza".

[@prismwashere]

Go outside and find out.

[@Charmander009]

Led is better . Less chance of fire . Those old bulbs get so hot and can catch on fire . Led for the win!!

[@Bnio]

You didn't watch the video, did you?

[@teresashinkansen9402]

Yes you are right LED is better but is being badly implemented. They need to tone down the light intensity, use more directional fixtures and lower the color temperature so there is less scattering.

[@BRISTOLFORCE2009]

LED isn’t anywhere close to better, they may get very hot but it’s very unlikely it will start a fire, there are so many more pros than cons of hps, LED’s have many more cons than pros, learn your facts

[@BRISTOLFORCE2009]

And it may be your opinion but it’s a true fact that hps is better so you meant to say, hps for the win

[@wjksea]

I watched the opening of this and found solid grounds to dismiss the rest of it. First of all, NO ONE, has been alive to recall the night sky before the 20th century… assuming the white haired dude grew up in the New Mexican desert, if he’s from the East coast, the stars were blotted out by sodium and mercury vapor which turned the clouds and haze above the surface orange. I lived on a street lined with sodium vapor and it was miraculous when they were replaced with LED. The solution could be to turn off the lights. In large cities it’s not going to happen. Climate change over time will reduce human population and maybe end it. That will reduce or end lights at night.

[@lucassevey5989]

Before the twentieth century we've had telescopes since the fifteenth century and you act like people didn't write about the stars

[@jm5390]

No one alive to recall the night sky of earlier centuries but we do have written records about the ability to observe things like the Milky Way, Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, and others. For a fix, I like the idea of what the city of Alpine, TX did and put more covers onto street lights (and lights in public places). You'll see just fine but WAY less light will go up into the sky.

[@alexs.5675]

Meh. Nothing new

[@timeversman9804]

My God the fear mongering.

[@lucassevey5989]

Wtf do you mean oh you only read the word pollution and didn't bother actually watching it the only ones scared of LIGHT pollution are astronomers

[@stbrian1861]

Actually, the real Fear Mongering is from the lighting industry who has nearly everyone drinking from the same kool-aid that excessively bright lighting keeps us safe from crime. Nothing can be further from the truth because the criminally-inclined have the same eye structure as law-abiding citizens therefore m, they need light to see. If we provide them with that light, they won't have to look even more suspicious by bringing their own flashlight. Besides, If bright and blinding lights were able to keep us safe then, gas stations, bodegas and major metro areas would be the safest places on Earth and there would be nearly no crime during daylight hours. Believe it or not, You, Your Family and Your Property are Safer under a blanket of darkness.

[@stangos5751]

😂😂😂😂😂wtf

[@drumtwo4seven]

I CAN'T STAND THE POST PRODUCTION ON THIS VIDEO IT'S SO CLICHE AND TRITE I APPRECIATE ITS MESSAGE BUT CHEESING IT UP LOSES ITS MESSAGE SMOKE AND MIRRORS

[@punapeter]

Ok Karen *TROLL ACCOUNT*

[@bakedbeans3181]

RIDICULOUS 🤭🤣🍿

[@patriciaaccettella664]

OK I thought I HAD HEARD EVERYTHING! THIS IS HIGHLY S-T-U-I-P-D!

[@KingNP41]

Stupid* also… light pollution can disrupt critical wildlife behavior, stall the recovery of endangered species, interferes with scientific research to understand our galaxy and stars, has adverse health effects, wastes energy, plus Darkness is vital to humans, animals and plants. It maintains the natural circadian rhythm, so you know when it is night and when it is day.

[@philipstephens5960]

If all you wanted to do is express an opinion, you could have done it without using all caps. Instead, you come here with an agenda…to do what, exactly? Reveal your ignorance? To let us know how little you care about the subject matter? Did it make you feel better, more superior to the rest of us?