Light Pollution in The Era of LED Lighting

Technology is great. You may already feel it will be followed by a "but" which represents the law of unintended consequence.

Let's talk about the LED and solid-state lighting technology. Mankind from candles, gas lamps, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, into the era of LED lighting technology; promote the evolution of the advantages of the LED in the energy conversion efficiency and energy savings in the past is the form of heat "waste" out. The cost-effectiveness is one of the reasons of LED lighting favored, its life can come a lot longer than incandescent bulbs. That's why LED light panels, LED night lights and other products are so popular these days.

The advantages of solid-state lighting is often Description: Compared with incandescent lamps, the same brightness can be achieved with less energy consumption; a housewife or husband is good news on the Earth is. This feature may be the energy suppliers is not good news... just not many people will care? I want to discuss is about to occur - or already occurring ─ ─ problems.

The switch to solid-state lighting technology available energy-saving, money-saving benefits, the family enterprise and local / central public institutions, will consider the installation of more lighting, especially in outdoor venues ─ ─ through the sensor day / night switch. So in fact, all of us set up may be able to save some money, some energy, but it can enjoy the day and all night more lighting in their daily lives. This result is quite good for energy suppliers should be, but not so good for humans or the Earth, astronomers hope completely matt harm the environment, under the observation of stars more bad news.

I do not mean the LED lighting does not reach the effect of saving more energy than in the past lighting technology, does not mean that we should adopt this new technology; it can achieve higher energy efficiency, it should be adopted, it might be used a lot. In the meantime, it is necessary to take appropriate means of control in order to avoid energy waste and unnecessary light pollution. You at home or a small corridor lights may be a manifestation of basic human rights, but from another perspective, you may be a "dark killer", or bring light pollution to the surrounding environment. This "unintended consequences of law" reminds me of the transistor co-inventor Walter Brattain said.

Walla Walla was Brattain retired from Bell Labs (BellLabs), returned to the U.S. state of Washington to teach at his alma mater, Whitman College (Whitman, College), he said invented the transistor to make him regret it one of the things, is the birth of the transistor radio kinds of products, so that loud rock music all day long continue to appear in each corner of the campus. LED lighting is like Brattain bring loud noise transistor radio. Will it bring some unexpected trouble for us?