In the Dark in Loudoun 

Tom DeWeese

Let us begin with the understanding that there is no such thing as 'light
pollution,' yet this idiotic notion is generating legislation to 'save the
night skies' from it. It is one more example of the way environmentalists
will use any bizarre excuse to secure control over our lives and our
property rights. The fact that publicly elected officials would give serious
consideration to such nonsense reflects the degree to which environmentalism
has destroyed common sense.

Where's the connection, you ask? Consider being told it is against the law
for you to put up Christmas lights as decoration or that you have used too
much illumination to provide safe access to walkways and stairs leading to
your home? When you have lost the right to how much light you can use to
illuminate your property you have lost an important element of your property
rights. When such restrictions are applied to a commercial business, they
can represent thousands of dollars in lost income.

In July, in Loudoun County, Virginia a group of 'light pollution' activists
have been pushing hard for a law that would plunge the citizens and
businesses, as well as public facilities, into darkness by limiting the
kinds and amount of light they could display. In April, Virginia's Governor,
Mark Warner, approved a new piece of statewide legislation that requires
state facilities to use shielded outdoor lighting fixtures that emit no more
than two percent of their light output above a horizontal plane. By 2004,
the State's Department of Transportation must use such fixtures. As similar
bill made its way through New York State's legislature, guided all the way
by dark sky advocates and other environmental groups.

Pause for a moment and consider the economic impact of such restrictions.
The owner of a Loudoun County Taco Bell/Pizza Hut makes between $1,400 and
$1,600 after 9 PM every night. The Loudoun dark skies proposal would have a
devastating impact on his business. The same holds true for the owner of a
Citgo gas station on Leesburg Pike who just spent $25,000 for a new sign to
enhance his 24-hour service. Extend the restriction on outdoor lighting at
night to all the other businesses in just one Virginia County and you have
created an economic disaster zone.

Residents of Loudoun County would be restricted to 5,500 lumens of light per
property. The typical incandescent lights around a home range from 1,650
lumens to 4,000 lumens. Forget about those Fourth of July, Halloween or
Christmas decorations.

Consider now the idiotic reasons put forth for the need to control the
amount of light you or anyone else can use. 'Light pollution' advocates
worry that "Billions of moths and other nocturnal insects are killed each
year at lights" or that "Newborn sea turtles are disoriented by lights on
their natal beaches and some amphibians congregate around porch lights."
"Increased night lighting associated with human civilization disrupts
important behaviors and physiological processes with significant ecological
consequences." Darn that human civilization! Darn that Thomas Edison with
his infernal invention of the electric light bulb!

People who are more concerned about the fate of 'billions of moths' or who
claim that "over four million migrating birds are killed in collisions with
lighted communications towers in the United States" have totally lost
contact with the fact that nighttime lighting is an essential component of
modern life.

Over the years, radical environmentalists have given us a long list of
various forms of pollution. They have insisted that everything we breath,
drink and eat is polluted and now they tell us there's 'light pollution.'
These lovers of darkness have an international organization that is working
hard to insure that we can all see the stars at night, but not the entrances
to our homes and driveways. They belong to a Tucson, Arizona organization
called the International Dark-Sky Association [IDA]. This group of
environmental loonies exists "to preserve and protect our heritage of dark
skies through quality outdoor lighting."

I'll bet you didn't even know you had this 'heritage'? Who, in fact, really
likes the dark? Criminals, that's who. Criminals who value being unseen as
they creep around your home or business, seeking the fastest way to break
in. Then there is the ever-popular darkened parking area outside of your
local mall where you can be easily assaulted or have your car stolen.
In truth, the only people who really are concerned about too much light at
night are amateur astronomers and lovers out for a midnight walk. The rest
of us need light to get around at night. It's about safety. It's about the
economic benefits that accrue from good lighting. It's about common sense.

Tom DeWeese is the President of the American Policy Center; an activist
think tank in Herdon, VA. The Center maintains an Internet site at
<http://www.americanpolicy.org> Mr. DeWeese may be reached for comment at
apc@americanpolicy.org.