Basic Outdoor Parking Lot Lighting Problems

A majority of outdoor lights are simply too bright (unnecessarily bright).

A majority of outdoor lights are not properly shielded, and thus cause unwanted and unsafe and expensive light trespass and glare.

There are simply too many unnecessary outdoor lights out there (a great many paid for by you, the taxpayer). Very few highways or streets need to be lit with expensive streetlights (intersections and walkway crossings are the important places to have good lighting); it is far better to have bright, clear painted roadway lines and good, clear signage. Divided highways should have high barriers and/or planted trees/shrubs to block oncoming headlights. But roadside business and residential lighting also needs to be shielded (and low-intensity lights employed) so as to promote the safety of motorists from potentially fatal glare. And most parking-lot lights can and should be turned off "after hours".

Imagine children growing up without being allowed to see trees or birds (or any other aspect of nature): now, how is this any different from preventing our children from seeing the stars?! But by our thoughtless erection of outdoor lights everywhere --- without consideration of glare and light trespass, without consideration of safety, without consideration of the right to privacy, and without consideration of the energy waste and the waste of taxpayer dollars --- we are making it so that a very small percentage of children are able to grow up in the world today with the ability to see and ponder the wonders of our beautiful starry night sky. Indeed, after a full century now of outdoor electrical lighting, one must wonder what a lot of the lighting manufacturers and installers were thinking when they put up such glary monstrosities as now permeate our world. And there is real overkill in the shear numbers of outdoor lights now in existence! Far fewer outdoor lights are needed than are now lit every night, particularly over streets, highways, and parking lots.

In a nutshell, there are three basic problems with outdoor night lighting:

A majority of outdoor lights are simply too bright (unnecessarily bright).

A majority of outdoor lights are not properly shielded, and thus cause unwanted and unsafe and expensive light trespass and glare.

There are simply too many unnecessary outdoor lights out there (a great many paid for by you, the taxpayer). Very few highways or streets need to be lit with expensive streetlights (intersections and walkway crossings are the important places to have good lighting); it is far better to have bright, clear painted roadway lines and good, clear signage. Divided highways should have high barriers and/or planted trees/shrubs to block oncoming headlights. But roadside business and residential lighting also needs to be shielded (and low-intensity lights employed) so as to promote the safety of motorists from potentially fatal glare. And most parking-lot lights can and should be turned off "after hours".

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