ENVIRONMENT
Celebrating the dark times There are many ways to protect the Methow’s pristine skies
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BY JOANNA BASTIAN
he Methow Valley is one of the best places in the country to stargaze. Given our dark pristine night sky we can easily observe the Milky Way, the wispy galactic spiral arms and dust clouds, the tireless travels of the plants, periodic visitations by comets, annual meteor showers, the aurora borealis and more — most with the naked eye. Unfortunately, these amazing views of the vast universe we live in are increasingly threatened by growing light pollution. Satellite images show 99% of the United States population are unable to experience a natural night sky. A citizen science program involving more than 50,000 observations from volunteers around the world found the brightness of the night sky increased by about 10% a year in North America for the last decade. This means that the background brightness doubles in seven short years and washes out a significant number of stars. Left unchecked, in a few years residents of Winthrop and much of the Methow Valley will no longer be able to see the Milky Way. The good news is that by making a few small and affordable changes, home and business owners can reverse light pollution affects in the Methow Valley.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
In addition to preserving our amazing dark skies, there are many other reasons to implement smart lighting practices. Using smart lighting practices improves everyone’s health. A recent study by WSU Spokane Sleep and Performance Center found nighttime exposure to LED and other blue-spectrum lighting suppresses melatonin
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and increases risks for diabetes, cancer and a multitude of other chronic conditions. The American Medical Association recommends shielding all outdoor light fixtures and only using warm lights with Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) of 3,000K or less. Artificial light at night, especially blue lights, is not only harmful to human health and safety, but also harms wildlife. Bright lights disrupt bird migration patterns, and the feeding and mating cycles of insects, bats, fish and salamanders. Bright lights interrupt the predator/prey relationship, creating an imbalance in the ecosystem. Owls will go elsewhere if an area is overly lit at night. “If we want to see animal life during the day, we need to control light pollution at night,” said Kyrie Jardin, president of the Methow Dark Sky Coalition. Smart lighting at night reduces energy consumption and costs. Light at night is expensive, and drains economic resources. Satellite images of Earth show light emissions spreading into outer space, wasted to the tune of $3 billion a year in the United States. By using timers, motion sensors, lower wattage and shields, smart home owners can reduce their energy consumption while also reducing light pollution. Safety is a common reason people
Methow Valley News Photo by Steve Mitchell
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