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Education

Light Pollution – Public Perception and Awareness Survey

March 15, 2024 By Monica Seidel 34 Comments

*Questions with an asterisk must be answered before the survey can be submitted.

Filed Under: Education

  • Susan McLenaghan | May 2, 2024 8:45 am

    Very aware of light pollution. The night sky is so beautiful.We love that we can see the stars. One of the great joys of country living. We reduce light in our home in the evening for our health as well as the health of all the life forms in the great outdoors. Thanks for this reminder..We will be looking for more ways to foster dark skies.

    Reply
    • Stella Cowley | May 4, 2024 3:16 pm

      Well stated, I agree completely.

      Reply
  • Trudy Counter | May 2, 2024 8:22 am

    Thank you for taking on this initiative

    Reply
  • Lorraine Pellerin | May 2, 2024 8:21 am

    More advertising from local government and more posts on social media to educate

    Reply
  • Sylvia Miller | April 21, 2024 9:37 am

    Building or moving to rural areas should require educational material supplied to builders/ owners.

    Reply
    • Darlene Reilly | May 2, 2024 9:31 am

      It should be the responsibility of builders to install down lighting. My vacation home is in a nights movement in Sedona Arizona. We ca.n actually see the stars at night something we are loosing around cities.

      Reply
  • Jennifer Ghent-Fuller | April 19, 2024 3:06 pm

    Turning out all the lights on your property between 8 and 9 pm should be part of every Earth Day celebration.

    Reply
  • Eva Leon | April 19, 2024 11:27 am

    Many people leave lights on for security, so they need to know the harm it can cause and maybe they will switch to motion activated lighting.

    Reply
  • Katherine Westenberg | April 18, 2024 7:52 pm

    We cannot worry about who we offend with restricting outside lights but need to educate residents who are not aware of the harm humans do to other species. It starts with persistent education from government at all levels, provincial, regional and municipal.

    Reply
  • Mona Bowles | April 18, 2024 7:55 am

    Need more public awareness about light pollution.

    Reply
  • Julia duprey | April 17, 2024 10:35 am

    I strongly support the initiative to mitigate light pollution.

    Reply
  • Deb McCauley | April 17, 2024 10:34 am

    More information is needed to get out to people so they can make informed decisions.

    Reply
  • Christine de Nottbeck | April 17, 2024 9:51 am

    Education efforts could begin in elementary schools. Information to the general public, concerted and repeated is also important. Perhaps presentations to all levels of government including the UN could be considered.

    Unfortunately, this concern is another in a long line of environmental concerns that the lay person is unaware that it affects them. We only have one earth to live on and with.

    Reply
  • L moody | April 16, 2024 8:57 pm

    I live in a rural community, with no street lights, so nieghbours lights at night disturb the dark sky. I love seeing the bright stars and ever changing moonlight. Nature at its best.

    Reply
  • Mike Grinnell | April 16, 2024 7:13 pm

    It will be interesting to see how Watersheds approaches this problem. If people don’t care, not sure how successful any attempt will be.

    There are also concerns about what people will do when complaints are made.

    Reply
  • Carolyn Schmidt | April 16, 2024 6:40 pm

    Turn out the outdoor lights and close your blinds or curtains. Lights interfere with moths and other species that pollinate and mate during the darkness.

    Reply
  • Ruth Anne McNaught | April 16, 2024 5:16 pm

    I love to hear the whippoorwill sing at night-usually after 9:30 p.m. Forty years ago this birdsong was a regular occurrence. Now with all of the light pollution on my river, I rarely hear it. There will always be a dark, quiet place for the whippoorwill to rest on my property!

    Reply
    • Allan Holt | May 2, 2024 12:21 pm

      Some means of evalhating the effectiveness of reducing light wastage, eg bare bulb is a 10
      Bulb under within metal cover and above metal shade rim is a 2
      Etc

      Reply
  • Ste Quinlan | April 16, 2024 4:12 pm

    I certainly need to learn more, but I was aware of the impact that the indulgent use of artificial,light had on wildlife.

    Reply
  • Pat Kozowyk | April 16, 2024 3:44 pm

    While renovating our old farm house, the electrician was stunned that we did not want any walkway/landscaping or decorative exterior lights. We had to say no several times.
    We may turn on the exterior door light – if we are expecting someone or if the moon is not shining. We have always liked the dark.
    On the other hand, our nearest neighbor came from the city – his pond in the woods has lighting, he put in a street light between our properties, and the house has continuous exterior lighting. He feels it is more secure.
    Sigh.

    Reply
  • Wendy Somervile | April 16, 2024 2:36 pm

    I’m not sure education will work with the stubbornness of people who want to light up the outside with no concerns for the wildlife or their neighbours. Bylaws and fines might.

    Reply
  • Jillian Stewart | April 16, 2024 1:18 pm

    We need to reduce screen time (says me as I type this out on my iPhone) in order to follow a more natural rhythm. Do as nature does, get back to our roots!

    Reply
  • Teri Souter | April 16, 2024 1:06 pm

    Keep on this important initiative.

    Reply
  • Lyle Marback | April 16, 2024 12:59 pm

    Light pollution is only getting worse as crime increases !

    Reply
  • Lyle Marback | April 16, 2024 12:57 pm

    We use motion detector lights throughout our property to minimize waste !

    Reply
  • Jane Rayner | April 16, 2024 12:33 pm

    Living in the city I have noticed more home owners hiring decorative lighting services to decorate their homes and trees with fairy lights not only for the holidays but year round. I think more awareness of the effects these lights have on people, animals and the power grid is really necessary. There seems to also be no consistency about the brightness that is deemed appropriate.

    Reply
  • Doug Beingessner | April 16, 2024 12:26 pm

    Having flown over many urban areas at night it is obvious that many never experience a reasonable degree of darkness. This must affect plant and animal health.

    Reply
  • Linda Mathies | April 16, 2024 12:18 pm

    France holds a special awareness day to celebrate the night sky called ‘Le Jour de la Nuit’. It would be great if North America jumped on board!

    Reply
  • Keith Covey | April 16, 2024 12:18 pm

    Conversion to long life LEDs mean that designers
    are missing out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to
    improve their poor inefficient designs.

    Reply
  • Cindy fenwick | April 16, 2024 11:59 am

    I’m tired of seeing fairy lights up and down stairs all over the place. Obnoxious

    Reply
  • Rupert Kindersley | April 16, 2024 11:54 am

    In Georgian Bay the night sky is very important to most residents and also reducing light pollution at night is good for many fauna.
    At GBA we have encouraged the municipalities and local associations to educate residents about the need to have no visible lights at night.
    It is not an issue during the day.

    Reply
    • Stephanie Warren Plue | April 19, 2024 10:39 am

      Hi Rupert. I too live in the GBT. I have not seen our area provide Education to its residents. I believe that we should continue to encourage this. Many lake and cottage associations have social media pages where this type of information could be shared. I believe that this would be an easy and effective solution.

      Reply
  • D. Lewis | April 16, 2024 11:52 am

    Trying to get local government educated is difficult.

    Reply
  • Angela Colangelo | April 16, 2024 11:49 am

    Education is the only way the word will get out!

    Reply
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