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Energy-efficient streetlights may change color of light pollution

National Geographic -- The night sky may glow bluer as yellow-orange streetlights are gradually replaced by whiter, energy-saving lights, a new study says.

Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, cast a bluish glow in the sky and are about 20 percent more efficient than industry-standard streetlamps, that generate red-colored light pollution.

With LED efficiency expected to double to 40 percent in a few years, it's inevitable that governments worldwide will opt to save energy by switching to LEDs, which also last longer and require less maintenance.

"The likely worldwide transition to increased LED street lighting may have an effect on research topics as diverse" as disruptions of animals' circadian rhythms and air pollution, the study authors write.

For the study, the researchers built an inexpensive device

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Submitted Aug 20, 2012 By: Martinman

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honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,632 Points:1,610,495 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Aug 24, 2012 5:08:24 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse as long as things don't change too badly or we might not be able to identify the crook's clothing colors after a crime.
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,632 Points:1,610,495 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Aug 23, 2012 5:01:38 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse thanks for posting. Arizona has already done it. Though it's to help the astronomers who flock there for clean air to do some good research, it's still a good idea to reduce light pollution.
LetemEatCake Champion Author Oklahoma City Posts:5,596 Points:1,205,605 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Aug 22, 2012 11:17:29 PM Ignore LetemEatCake Report Abuse Good article Martin....interesting!
sparky808 Champion Author Honolulu Posts:3,003 Points:598,710 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Aug 22, 2012 12:29:26 PM Ignore sparky808 Report Abuse Thank you for posting.
sparky808 Champion Author Honolulu Posts:3,003 Points:598,710 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Aug 21, 2012 12:27:22 PM Ignore sparky808 Report Abuse Price of progress.
nickatnite Veteran Author Indianapolis Posts:370 Points:279,465 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Aug 21, 2012 12:22:19 PM Ignore nickatnite Report Abuse More energy-efficient lighting is always the way to go.
bonzoonfmb Champion Author Florida Posts:1,787 Points:645,260 Joined:Feb 2010	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 11:09:01 PM Ignore bonzoonfmb Report Abuse I don't know about this, different cities have different color of streelights - some sodium-vapor some mercury vapor. The switch to LEDs should be made when cost effective.
kgbellman Champion Author Ann Arbor Posts:2,718 Points:732,815 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 11:07:51 PM Ignore kgbellman Report Abuse I'm glad as I prefer the more true white light and have never liked the yellowish light. Interesting study that should continue.
shores4now Champion Author Kentucky Posts:2,411 Points:524,775 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 11:07:47 PM Ignore shores4now Report Abuse Ok
Ahking Champion Author Orange County Posts:3,507 Points:603,450 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 11:06:15 PM Ignore Ahking Report Abuse hope the sea turtles survive the LED.
wcp3rd All-Star Author New Jersey Posts:734 Points:361,625 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 11:04:46 PM Ignore wcp3rd Report Abuse ok
Godozo All-Star Author Gary Posts:671 Points:559,440 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 11:00:14 PM Ignore Godozo Report Abuse Wonder what will happen when/if they figure out how to make a yellower light from the LEDs. Blue lights at night affect my ability to drive, have less of a problem with green or pinkish lights.
wcp3rd All-Star Author New Jersey Posts:734 Points:361,625 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:58:56 PM Ignore wcp3rd Report Abuse ok
Mikeyl Champion Author Cleveland Posts:5,159 Points:1,186,745 Joined:Aug 2004	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:57:52 PM Ignore Mikeyl Report Abuse I hate sodium-vapor now. I like the silvery glow of LEDs much better.
txrojo2005 All-Star Author Austin Posts:766 Points:479,630 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:57:30 PM Ignore txrojo2005 Report Abuse Unintended consequences.
crazycow2332 Champion Author Nashville Posts:1,217 Points:255,080 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:57:27 PM Ignore crazycow2332 Report Abuse ok
petrpuck All-Star Author Hamilton Posts:559 Points:418,560 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:54:21 PM Ignore petrpuck Report Abuse yea.....that
DandyDapple All-Star Author North Dakota Posts:715 Points:311,570 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:54:00 PM Ignore DandyDapple Report Abuse ...
kgbellman Champion Author Ann Arbor Posts:2,718 Points:732,815 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:51:54 PM Ignore kgbellman Report Abuse I'm glad as I preferthe more true white light and have never liked the yellowish light. Interesting study that should continue.
Tekkersmom57 Champion Author Syracuse Posts:1,883 Points:701,845 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:51:13 PM Ignore Tekkersmom57 Report Abuse If LED's come down in price, more people will definitely be using them.
must87searcher Champion Author Maryland Posts:8,985 Points:1,780,635 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:50:06 PM Ignore must87searcher Report Abuse I have some LED flashlights and they sure do produce a lot of light. My monitor is also and LED and it is brighter and uses less electricity compared to a tube or LCD monitor. The idea of using LED lights may work.
msienkiewicz Champion Author Maryland Posts:8,467 Points:1,597,075 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:49:49 PM Ignore msienkiewicz Report Abuse My circadian rhythms could use some adjustment. Maybe I will see if I can change the CFL in the coach lamp in front of my house with a bluer shaded LED... that light coming in the window at night can be a bit annoying.
itsjustme719 All-Star Author Hamilton Posts:611 Points:598,725 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:49:39 PM Ignore itsjustme719 Report Abuse Okay.
MJIOWA Champion Author Iowa Posts:4,823 Points:1,077,945 Joined:Nov 2009	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:48:54 PM Ignore MJIOWA Report Abuse cool
sammy518 Champion Author Austin Posts:2,589 Points:539,790 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:43:05 PM Ignore sammy518 Report Abuse Austin was known as the "Violet Crown" because of the moon towers that were placed all over the city decades ago. from a long distance across TX you'd see the violet glow!
OOXXFF Champion Author Greensboro Posts:3,063 Points:1,079,405 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:40:38 PM Ignore OOXXFF Report Abuse Good news, I think.
honkerman Champion Author San Jose Posts:44,287 Points:2,397,095 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:37:35 PM Ignore honkerman Report Abuse O.K.
5kvdave All-Star Author Los Angeles Posts:688 Points:350,000 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:36:49 PM Ignore 5kvdave Report Abuse MORE B.S.!!!!!!!
NemoIL Champion Author Illinois Posts:3,027 Points:1,314,135 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:34:32 PM Ignore NemoIL Report Abuse Good I hate the orange ones.
pgerassi Champion Author Milwaukee Posts:10,901 Points:2,132,580 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:33:22 PM Ignore pgerassi Report Abuse Glare problems are color ignorant. Blue lights can cause more glare than reddish ones if thew latter are aimed properly and the former not.
forty-niner Champion Author Winnipeg Posts:28,623 Points:2,381,460 Joined:Jul 2006	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:32:42 PM Ignore forty-niner Report Abuse It makes no difference here, these street lights are on 24/7; you can phone to complain, they don't do a thing about lights burning all day. Here, these street lights burn and no civic elected person bothers to get them shut off. So energy-efficient or not, what we really need is energy-efficient employees.
mrbee Champion Author Little Rock Posts:3,759 Points:2,466,805 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:32:00 PM Ignore mrbee Report Abuse Until they find something better. [Edited by: mrbee at 8/20/2012 11:32:38 PM EST]
Buddy2264 Champion Author Tampa Posts:11,659 Points:2,360,945 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:31:35 PM Ignore Buddy2264 Report Abuse With all the savings will we see a reduction in electricity costs? I think not. I should have installed solar long ago, by now it would have paid for itself.
landsart Rookie Author San Diego Posts:17 Points:2,195 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:30:24 PM Ignore landsart Report Abuse OK Then !
toadNY Champion Author Albany Posts:7,047 Points:1,514,125 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:29:45 PM Ignore toadNY Report Abuse What next?
listerone Champion Author Boston Posts:3,380 Points:878,765 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:28:53 PM Ignore listerone Report Abuse So what?
mcmonsta Champion Author Honolulu Posts:3,232 Points:818,770 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:26:51 PM Ignore mcmonsta Report Abuse if it makes sense then most gov'ts will take forever to make the move!
dlemma Champion Author Wyoming Posts:4,111 Points:1,555,995 Joined:Feb 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:26:11 PM Ignore dlemma Report Abuse gas prices???
wayoung56 Champion Author Alabama Posts:2,805 Points:819,310 Joined:Oct 2006	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:25:43 PM Ignore wayoung56 Report Abuse Red light is good because it helps preserve your night vision. I was on nuclear submarines when I was in the Navy and they always rigged the control room for red lights or the OOD wore red goggles during the night watch hours to make sure they had good night vision if they had to look out the pericope. So when we go from an area with the new "bluer" LED lights to a darker area our night vision will possibly be wiped out for several minutes...
grn7stars Rookie Author Washington Posts:36 Points:166,525 Joined:Jun 2012	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:25:10 PM Ignore grn7stars Report Abuse k
BoerneWatch Champion Author San Antonio Posts:15,546 Points:2,454,915 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:23:17 PM Ignore BoerneWatch Report Abuse We have those now and they do put out more of a blueish light.
abcdMA Champion Author Worcester Posts:7,927 Points:1,575,955 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:22:35 PM Ignore abcdMA Report Abuse now we can have blue lightlight pollution---is that a blue light special?
FunMyster All-Star Author Indiana Posts:907 Points:73,215 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:20:35 PM Ignore FunMyster Report Abuse ok
Jmac2008 Champion Author Missouri Posts:2,279 Points:882,115 Joined:Dec 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:20:13 PM Ignore Jmac2008 Report Abuse ok
mstearno Champion Author Dayton Posts:8,071 Points:1,732,210 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:18:09 PM Ignore mstearno Report Abuse gas prices?
Yankee829 Champion Author Dallas Posts:2,211 Points:560,565 Joined:Sep 2010	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:12:11 PM Ignore Yankee829 Report Abuse Ok
humancry Champion Author Michigan Posts:4,618 Points:1,002,455 Joined:Nov 2006	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:10:10 PM Ignore humancry Report Abuse ok
Cableman66 Champion Author North Carolina Posts:2,115 Points:490,920 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:07:41 PM Ignore Cableman66 Report Abuse Moving from lighted to unlighted areas with these so called bright lights will be a safety issue. How long will it take you to adjust to the changes and what will it do to your reaction time driving at night.
danreino Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:8,353 Points:1,540,730 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:05:59 PM Ignore danreino Report Abuse have a holly jolly christmas....in the jungle
serrog Champion Author Nova Scotia Posts:5,569 Points:1,513,105 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Aug 20, 2012 10:04:00 PM Ignore serrog Report Abuse amazing