The Honorable Bruce Smith East Wing Room 41A Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020 Subject: House Bill 2825 "Outdoor Lighting Control Act" Dear Honorable Smith, I am writing to express my support of your efforts on controlling improper nighttime illumination. While there is a need for properly shielded outdoor lighting, the current lack of regulations regarding this has lead to many instances of questionable safety issues associated with the glare given off by poorly placed and designed lighting. Almost everyone who drives at night has experienced this problem at one time or another. Additionally, there is growing evidence that the type of poor lighting addressed by your bill is becoming an environmental issue through the observed adverse impact on nocturnal animal life. In regards to the current energy problems faced by some of the Western States, this issue is of a timely manor. There has been many studies that show the benefits of properly shielded lighting in reducing the cost of electricity at all levels of public usage. What better way to help in conservation than to reduce the cost of energy spent on improper lighting of little value. Finally, while one can't realistically expect to be able to 'stargaze' from the middle of a city without some lighting effects of modern civilization; from an aesthetic point of view, promoting responsible outdoor lighting will help preserve the natural celestial beauty of the nighttime sky for future generations. Thank you for your efforts. Sincerely Larry E McHenry President Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh
|
Page last modified Dec 8, 2007 at 07:56 PST. Send site issues to: IT Committee |