Its Time to Consider How We Light Our Homes, Streets and Planet

If there’s one thing that many of us take for granted on a daily basis, it’s light. It’s easy to overlook the fact that the first light bulb was only invented just over 200 years ago, which makes it an exceedingly new invention in the grand scheme of things.

Before electric light, illumination typically came from burning oil, which was an expensive venture, to say the least.

All this being said, the ways in which we currently light our homes, streets, and planet aren’t without their drawbacks, with one of the most noticeable being light pollution.

Light Pollution: A Progressive Problem

Take a look up at the sky on even the clearest night in a large city, and chances are you’ll have a hard time seeing anything of note in terms of stars. It’s true of Sacramento and also even of smaller cities, and it’s typically a result of light pollution.

Understandably, many homeowners are concerned as to whether or not their kids will be able to experience the stars the way they did when they were children, and if things don’t change, there’s no telling what the answer might be.

There is indeed hope for those who are interested in reversing the impact of light pollution. There are a number of “dark skies” initiatives underway at the moment that is designed to keep light pollution at bay, and it happens to be one of the very few environmental issues that can actually be addressed immediately, without any noticeable lag-time. For homeowners, the potential answer lies in embracing LEDs.

The Brilliance of LED Lighting

LEDs have no doubt caught-on over the course of the past decade or so, and for good reason. There are mountains of benefits regarding energy efficiency, and one of the most important reasons for homeowners throughout the world to make the switch to LEDs is that they can help to curb light pollution.

When used effectively, LED lighting can take home to an entirely new level, and the technology is only continuing to move in a forward direction.

So, what can you do as a homeowner in order to reduce light pollution? Aside from installing LEDs, getting involved in a dark skies initiative is a great way to start.

There are California chapters of the International Dark-Sky Association, and plenty of forward-thinking members to converse with about what we can do to keep light pollution from getting worse.

At California Energy Services, we’re passionate about helping to keep the issue of light pollution from progressing. Stay tuned for our next post, which will highlight the many reasons why embracing LEDs is worth your while.