Canada has a specific lighting implementation. To control light pollution, the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) have set up some programs to concede land areas with an outstanding quality of starry night in the communities.
The nature of Canada with the abundance of natural resources makes the preservation feasible. In 2007, IDA officially appointed Mont-Megantic as the first international Dark Sky Reserve. Mont-Megantic Observatory is a 5300 square kilometers area located in the South-East of Quebec. In 2013, RASC had designated Wood Buffalo National as Dark Sky Preserve. Located in Alberta and Northwest territories, covering around 44,000 square kilometers area, this is today's largest reserve area in the world.
Light pollution may come from misdirected, excessive, and inefficient lighting systems. This is often found in urban areas that use numerous sources of light. Light is distributed by layers in the atmosphere and produces a glow that gradually reduces the night sky's darkness. About 95% of the stars can not be normally seen with naked eyes in large Canadian cities. Light pollution is an unavoidable impact of industrialization. It is invisible, but surely the night lighting has an impact on the fields of economics, ecology, and astronomy. The project on solar street lights in Canada can be a choice to lessen light pollution.
Contents
From an economic point of view, excessive light constitutes a waste of energy for individuals and industries. In Quebec, lighting the sky costs 50 million dollars per year. On a larger scale, there will be impacts on global climate change, especially as the required electricity was taken from burning fossil fuels.
Solar street lights in Canada are an option for this country to minimize excessive lighting cost. The energy from the sun is renewable, stored in the battery, and be controlled from the timer. SDD Light is a brand that provides this choice. It is available in North America. It means it is easier for Canadians to get more information about and start the streetlight project soon.
The excessive lighting at night can confuse animals like moths and migratory birds, create a new pattern in the predator-prey relationship, and can even change the competitiveness with the same species.
Zooplankton in lakes, for instance, may stop feeding the algae if the night lighting is too strong. The immoderate algae growth finally decomposes and increases the bacterial activity. Consequently, there will be oxygen depletion in the lake, which may cause many invertebrates and fish to die.
The bright lighting at night diminishes the contrast between the dark sky and the astronomical sources of light. It is hard to see the stars. This creates a major problem for amateur astronomers since it is hard to find access to the truly dark sky. These amateurs play an important part in increasing scientific interest in young people. It has an impact on professionals since artificial light interferes with data collection.
These astronomers may count on installing the solar street light in Canada. The night lighting can be controlled using a timer and motion detector.
Everyone can take part in protecting the ecosystem and human health by adopting four principles to ensure a safe environment and minimize the negative impacts on them.
Light pollution is 95% responsible for the disappearance of the stars in the sky. Imposing light rules on houses may have a slight effect, on the streetlamps have the medium effect, and for the street lighting can be varied. Installing solar street lights in Canada poses a choice between efficient and inefficient.
Most people don't think that there is hidden pollution behind the surplus of light. In order not to get it permanent, we need to implement the four principles collectively. However, we do realize that it is nearly impossible since artificial lights are needs in society. It is our choice to have fewer polluting light sources and make it possible to contribute to protecting the integrity of the dark sky, for the lasting of the next generation.