Most of us do what we can to be responsible heralds of the planet. We recycle, we turn the water off when we brush our teeth, and we’d never even dream of littering, but one thing a lot of us often overlook is our light pollution. Excessive light pollution is harmful to the environment, affects wildlife behavior, and disrupts sleep.
At Gemstone Lights, we pride ourselves on providing responsible outdoor lighting solutions that are environmentally friendly as well as beautiful. It is possible to reduce your light pollution while still illuminating your home in a cheerful, welcoming glow (and decorating for the holidays with ease), and we’re here to help you do just that.
Even if you’re just learning about light pollution for the first time here, we’ll help you combat it without having to live your life in the dark.
What is Light Pollution, and Why is It a Problem?
Light pollution is a blanket term that refers to the excessive artificial light produced by humans. Excessive light pollution is the reason why you can see the stars when you’re camping but can’t see them from your city apartment. It can disrupt your sleep patterns and has been shown to have a negative effect on animals like insects, algae, and migratory birds.
Does All Artificial Light Create Light Pollution?
Yes and no. All artificial light has the potential to give off light pollution, but you can combat it by selecting your lights thoughtfully and intentionally. Choosing responsible outdoor lighting like Gemstone Lights, which meets the guidelines outlined by DarkSky (we’ll get to this in more detail below), is the best way to combat light pollution without having to live your life completely in the dark.
Different Types of Light Pollution
Light pollution can take a few different forms, and all of them are unnecessary and unwanted. When you illuminate your home with Gemstone Lights, our installation crews will ensure that you’re only lighting the areas that you want to and avoiding excess light pollution like:
- Skyglow. This might sound like a 90s alternative rock band, but it’s not quite as fun. This is when an excess of light in densely populated areas like cities brightens the sky so much that it makes it difficult to see the stars. It’s usually the result of lights that are much brighter than necessary and not angled or shielded properly. Our permanent track lights cast a downward glow only where you need them, and they can be dimmed, customized, and turned on or off through our app.
- Light Trespass. This is when light spills over into areas where it’s not wanted—like your neighbor’s bedroom window. Our expert installers will ensure that your lights are properly targeted and won’t cause an avoidable rift with the people next door.
- Glare. This is probably the type of light pollution you’re most familiar with. It’s an intense, bright light that can impede your vision and even hurt your eyes. While we can’t personally do anything about the obnoxiously bright headlights you’ll encounter on your evening commute, we can help you reduce glare from your home or business’ lights. Brightness can be adjusted via the app, and even if you don’t have your phone on hand (which, let’s be honest, is probably rare), you can dim your lights with a voice command via your Amazon Alexa or Google Home smart home system.
- Clutter. This is the term for the excessive groupings of bright lights that are often found in cities. While we can’t do anything about your neighbors’ lights (at least not until the jump on the Gemstone Lights bandwagon, that is), we can assure you that we underwent a great deal of testing before deciding to place our track lights nine inches apart—the perfect distance to highlight the features of your home without drowning it in too much light.
DarkSky’s Five Principles for Responsible Outdoor Lighting
DarkSky, also known as the International Dark Sky Association, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating light pollution, raising awareness, and protecting the night skies. It works with policymakers and the public to find ways to promote responsible outdoor lighting practices.
DarkSky published a list of the five principles of responsible outdoor lighting, which has helped enact global policy change. Not all regions have outdoor lighting laws, but we think it’s a good idea to follow these best practices to the best of our abilities.
1. Keep Your Lights Useful
All of your outdoor lighting should serve a purpose. Not only does intentional lighting mean that you won’t be unnecessarily contributing to global light pollution, but deliberately designed exterior lighting looks more polished, adding functionality and curb appeal to your home or business.
Whether you choose smart flood lights to illuminate your driveway to make coming home safer or permanent track lights to create a cozy outdoor living space on your back porch, choose your lighting intentionally and thoughtfully. And yes, spreading holiday cheer with permanent Christmas lights counts as a purpose, too.
2. Target Your Lights
Light rays can travel extremely long distances when they’re not shielded or redirected—shining across lawns, into the paths of migrating birds, or neighbors’ homes. Responsible lighting should be targeted, only illuminating the areas that need it. When you choose Gemstone Lights, our authorized dealers will ensure that your lights are installed properly—and that they only illuminate the areas you want to be lit.
Our soffit lights are tucked away into a discreet track so that they cast a downward glow on your home’s exterior, and our smart flood lights are focused on providing washes of light only where you want them—and nowhere you don’t.
Also read: How to Install Soffit Lighting: Things to Consider
3. Keep Your Lighting at a Low Level
Sure, there are occasions that call for bright light—anyone who has lost a contact lens or strained to read a menu in a trendy bar can attest to that, but dimmer lights, especially at night, are better for your health and the health of the environment. We no longer live in an age when people must rise with the sun and retire at dusk, but too much bright light in the evening can affect your circadian rhythm and disrupt your sleep cycle.
Gemstone Lights can be dimmed, controlled, and set to timers all from the palm of your hand with our HUB app. They also come with sunset/sunrise automation options and can integrate with your current smart home system. In addition, you won’t have to worry if you forget to adjust your lights before leaving on vacation. Our Cloud-enabled lights can be controlled from anywhere in the world!
4. Control Your Lights
Speaking of our app-controlled LED lights, the next principle for responsible outdoor lighting is that lights should be controllable, enabling you to turn them off when not in use. This is especially true for commercial lighting, much of which doesn’t need to be on outside of business hours.
Luckily, you can set timers and control all of your Gemstone Lighting systems from our app, even if you own or manage multiple properties. You can also set permission levels, allowing trusted employees to control your lights as well.
Not only will you help the environment, you’ll also save a bit of extra money on your energy bill (though if you’re used to incandescent or fluorescent commercial lights, you’ll probably already be amazed at how much you’ll save just by making the switch to energy-efficient LEDs!)
5. Choose Warm-Colored Lights
Warm-colored lights are less disruptive to animals and humans than bright white or blue-to-violet spectrum lights. Bright white and cool-toned colored lights reach further distances than warm lights. They’re also more disruptive to your body’s circadian rhythm and can even stop natural melatonin production within your body.
Gemstone Lights’ RGBWW LEDs are different from run-of-the-mill RGB LEDs. They’re made with an extra diode specifically for warm white, which allows you to set your lights to a true warm white light. These sleep-friendly settings are among our favorites for soft, glowy architectural lighting, and they make the best cozy, welcoming, warm white Christmas lights.
Responsible Outdoor Lighting FAQs
Question: Are there lights that don’t cause light pollution?
Answer: LED lights, especially dim, warm lights, are the best for minimizing light pollution. Gemstone Lights’ exterior lights can easily be set to a dim, warm white and then brightened when you need a little extra illumination.
Question: Is landscape lighting bad for the environment?
Answer: Excessively bright and untargeted landscape light can contribute to light pollution and even disrupt the patterns of migrating birds—plus, it just doesn’t look as polished as it could. Our authorized dealers will work with you to create a custom landscape lighting system that looks great and won’t harm the environment.
Question: What are the least harmful lights?
Answer: LED lights are among the most eco-friendly and energy-efficient lights on the market, and warm LEDs, in particular, are easy on your eyes and less likely to disrupt your sleep patterns.
Reduce Your Light Pollution Without Living in the Dark Ages
Making the switch to intentionally placed LED lights, dimming your lights, choosing warmer colors, and turning your lights off when you don’t need them are all ways to reduce your light pollution without having to sacrifice your comfort, nighttime visibility, and the aesthetic appeal of your home.
Not only can Gemstone Lights help you achieve all of that, but we’ll also help tailor the perfect responsible outdoor lighting system to suit your needs—one that will last for decades to come.
Get in touch with an authorized dealer today to learn more about our high-quality, environmentally friendly smart light systems.