Make an astronomer happy: Lower the lights

Editorial in the Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, AZ, 02/04/2006
© 2006 Arizona Daily Sun

Now comes the test.

It's one thing to fight as a community for the right of our own icy, little dwarf, Pluto, to call itself a planet.

And it's easy to complain about all those bright lights from Phoenix ruining it for stargazers in northern Arizona.

After all, Flagstaff has more astronomers per capita than any other city in the U.S., and what's important to them should be important to all of us.

But what happens when the lighting inspectors, acting on behalf of those same astronomers, start enforcing the Dark Skies ordinance right here in Flagstaff?

Will it be lights out on the good will that has grown up over the years between those who are manning their telescopes at 2 a.m. and the rest of us who are sound asleep?

Or will homeowners and businesses rise to the occasion by lowering the wattage -- or at least putting shields on their outdoor lighting?

Those aren't just rhetorical questions. As Cyndy Cole reported Thursday, Flagstaff officials are about to get serious with Dark Skies violators. They're ready to spend $10,000 on inspections and enforcement, including the issuance of tickets instead of just notices.

Part of the problem, no doubt, is lack of awareness. Flagstaff is a transient town, and there are many homeowners who are simply unaware that it's illegal to have mercury vapor lights or outdoor spotlights that point anywhere but down.

Until now, however, enforcement was done only by complaint, and the result was only a warning notice. Plans now call for the city to use aerial photographs to pinpoint violators, then follow up with visual inspections and possible fines.

Last year, the city sent out 50 warning notices. But officials estimate there are up to 500 homes and businesses using illegal mercury vapor lights alone.

Coconino County, which has similar lighting rules, also has a role to play in enforcement. Although neighborhoods like Doney Park, Kachina Village and Baderville generally are darker than Flagstaff for lack of streetlights and nighttime businesses, it just takes one or two security spotlights to light up an entire block.

For some homeowners, just the thought of having the government tell them what bulbs to put in their fixtures, much less spying on them with night cameras, smacks of Big Brother. But the days when individuals could use a natural resource -- whether clean air, clean water or dark skies -- without regard to their neighbor or the common good are long gone.

Flagstaff has declared its dark skies a community resource, and that means all of us have a stake in keeping them that way. That starts with getting up to speed on what's legal and what isn't. And if it means changing out an old light bulb for a new one or installing hoods on the garden lights -- well, it could be worse. Just wait until the water police start coming around this spring to tell you when to turn off the sprinkler!