"The stars at night are big and bright..."
Texas is famous for our magnificent dark, starry nights. From teaching our kids about astronomy and the mysteries of the universe to sharing a romantic night with a loved one, our starry skies are a treasured natural wonder.
But wasteful outdoor lighting from unshielded, over-lit fixtures is obscuring the night sky. This "light pollution" can disturb sleep, harm animals, create dangerous or unattractive glare, reduce safety and waste energy.
There's a simple solution - shielding outdoor lighting and reflecting it back to the ground, where we want it (which then allows us to reduce the size of bulb needed for the task). For example, the Austin American Statesman reported that Austin Energy "is replacing 70,000 upward-shining streetlights with more nighttime-friendly shielded flat lights."
On Wednesday, the West Lake Hills city council will consider taking action to reduce light pollution.
Learn more about regional efforts to protect the Hill Country night sky at
www.hillcountrynightskies.org
