“Dark sky” lamps, as they are called, are [tag]outdoor fixtures[/tag] that cast most of their illumination downward, reducing the amount of excess spill light sent into the [tag]night sky[/tag] (as well as the neighbors’ property). The fixtures are touted by community advocates and wildlife researchers, who say that overly lighted commercial sites, [tag]residential properties[/tag] and [tag]streetscapes[/tag] not only waste energy but produce light pollution that obscures views of the heavens and endangers coastal wildlife.

Hundreds of municipalities and subdivisions have passed anti-light-pollution regulations, says Robert Gent, vice president of the IDA. Compliant cities include Boulder, Colo., and Phoenix, which is near several large telescopes where light pollution can hinder astronomical research. It also poses environmental problems, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and has been linked to the death of thousands of sea-turtle hatchlings, which confusedly crawl toward brightly lighted beach property and into harm’s way, rather than into the ocean.

click here for article