Dark-sky advocates aim to illuminate others on light pollution

"One good rule of thumb is that if you can see the bulb, then there is too much glare," Bob Parks of the International Dark-Sky Association said. (Shamus Ian Fatzinger/fairfax County Times)

The county should be commended for its willingness to implement responsible lighting practices, Walker said.

"Ms. Hudgins has been well educated about light pollution over the years, and she has become an advocate of best lighting practices," he said. "Of course, any ordinance is only as good as its enforcement."

Walker has been vocal on the issues, Hudgins said. "Chris will certainly let us know, in no uncertain terms, if he is displeased with any of our lighting practices."

Many measures can be adopted to "use light more effectively," Parks said. "One good rule of thumb is that if you can see the bulb, then there is too much glare."

Streetlight glare is a growing problem with older drivers, whose eyes are ill equipped to deal with it, Parks said. Streetlights also have had an impact on the breeding habits and birthrates of bats, he said.

"They are fooled into thinking it is still daylight, so they go out to feed later and have less time to feed," he said. "The glitch in their biological clock can have a trickledown effect on all their other functions. Fewer bats mean more insects, or the reverse can also be true. Bats can begin to exclusively feed off of insects attracted to lights, unnaturally diminishing the population of certain moths, for example."

Walker said darkness is as necessary a component for optimal health as natural sunlight.

"The healthiest way to live is to sleep in complete darkness and have access to sunlight during the day," he said. "Light pollution hurts everything, including property values. There are direct correlations of property values to the use of discreet versus overabundant lighting."

The association's members "can be very convincing in their arguments," Hudgins said.

"They really do have a point," Hudgins said. "You don't really know what you're missing until you go out to the country or somewhere where you can really see the stars, and then you go, 'Wow, so that's what I'm being denied by light pollution.' "