Summer is usually the season for kicking back, turning off alarm clocks, and enjoying a slow evening on the porch. But while humans get to unplug, the night sky never actually gets a break.
Every single evening, city streets, glowing storefronts, and oversized backyard floodlights switch on at full blast. Instead of cool, dark skies, our towns get soaked in an artificial amber haze. Excessive urban lighting totally drowns out the stars and disrupts the natural rhythms that wildlife relies on to survive. Owls, moths, migrating birds, and even neighborhood trees end up thoroughly confused by the endless glow.
Honestly, even the night sky deserves a summer vacation!
Think about it this way. Millions of stars are floating right above our heads every evening, but most of us only ever see a handful of faint dots because our streetlights are trying to recreate high noon at midnight. We are essentially paying huge electric bills to hide the universe from ourselves.
The great news is that giving the night some well earned time off is surprisingly easy. Nobody is saying we need to stumble around in pitch black darkness. Simple fixes go a really long way. Pointing outdoor light fixtures downward instead of up into the sky keeps the light where we actually need it. Switching to warmer bulb tones, flipping off unnecessary porch lights before heading to bed, and using motion sensors can instantly clean up our night skies.
By dimming unnecessary outdoor lighting, we do a lot more than just cut down on electric bills. We bring the cosmos back to life right over our backyards, help local critters get a good night of sleep, and let the environment breathe a little easier. So tonight, flick off a couple of extra switches, step outside, and let’s give the night the summer break it has been waiting for.