The Palo Alto City Council in California, USA, is set to review a proposed ordinance named “Dark Sky” on Monday (November 10). The law would require residents to extinguish almost all outdoor lighting at midnight to protect local wildlife. The new proposal has sparked strong opposition from local residents who are concerned that the dark environment will increase the risk of home burglaries.
According to a report from “Breaking News” website on Saturday (November 8), the new proposal entails implementing a comprehensive lighting curfew in the city if the ordinance is approved, also known as “Prohibition of Light Trespass”. This would compel residents to use lower brightness lighting fixtures or install lampshades, reducing the range of lighting from 0.5 feet (approximately 15 centimeters) to 0.1 feet (approximately 3 centimeters) to avoid unnecessary illumination of neighboring homes by their own outdoor lights.
As reported by the “Daily Post,” city officials stated that the primary goal of introducing the new law is to protect the local wildlife. Reducing light pollution throughout Palo Alto, including the Baylands Nature Preserve marshland trails, is expected to significantly benefit the ecosystem and potentially improve human health.
Advocates of the law argue that artificial outdoor lighting at residential homes disrupts the natural cycles of wildlife and vegetation growth. They claim that studies have found human light pollution disorients migratory birds, often leading to fatal consequences; disturbs the nocturnal animals’ livelihoods; suppresses hormones in aquatic organisms, affecting their sleep and other physiological processes.
A similar ordinance passed last year in Brisbane has already impacted several communities in the Bay Area. The law mandates that outdoor lighting at residential homes must be switched off by 10 pm, with exemptions for entrance, exit, and parking lot motion sensor lights.
However, this proposed law has faced opposition from many residents of the city. According to “Mirror US,” local residents believe that reducing lighting will make residential homes more vulnerable to attacks from criminals.
Communities near San Francisquito Creek have raised concerns, stating that the number of homeless people’s camps in parks has been steadily increasing, posing safety risks in the dark environment.
Resident Tom Fountain expressed his fear, saying, “Because of the new law, I am starting to worry about the safety of my wife and young daughter: they will have to return home in the dark; walk through the dark backyard to take out the trash; fumble in our unlit swimming pool; or, we won’t be able to see if any criminals enter our yard.”
Under the new regulations, homeowners must retrofit existing outdoor lighting fixtures within two years, or replace those that cannot be modified. Household users have a grace period of ten years, while business users have only five years to comply with the requirements.