Light Pollution
Everyone
who loves looking up at the night sky1
knows one thing2:
to see the most stars … get away from3
a city. In cities, artificial light comes from street lamps4, buildings5, signs6
and cars. All this unnatural, man-made light blocks out any chance to see the
stars.
In
Washington, D.C. a man named Jim Dougherty is fighting for darker7 skies. He and others want to turn down the lights8
in the city and not just to improve9
stargazing10. They
believe a darker night sky is good for the health11
of people and our planet.
What does Earth look like from space?12
The Earth appears to shine13
from space. What astronauts see as they circle the planet are the lights from
our cities. This light creates a kind of orange
cloud14 or haze15
that keeps us from seeing16
the stars.
Jim
Dougherty is president of the International Dark Sky Association. He says the
orange haze is light pollution. “Light pollution is outdoor lighting17 that’s not serving the task18 that it's designed for19.
In fact20 it is either wasted or21,
worse, has harmful22,
adverse effects.”
Jim
Dougherty says too much23
light is bad for your health. Studies find too much light disturbs24 our sleep, affects hormones and is linked to25 some cancers.
He says light pollution is also bad for the planet.
“There’s a
direct connection between the needless26
and harmful lighting and the excess generation. And it's also a big climate issue27.
We’re worried about28
climate change. We're (are) just putting29
carbon dioxide up there30.
If we are burning natural gas or we’re burning coal31, we’re causing global warming32 by sending light straight up33 into
the sky.”
VOA
reporter Rosanne Skirble spoke with two people out for a casual, evening walk39.
“It makes
me feel safe40,
and I definitely feel like I can see all around me. I know no one41 is going to, like, hurt42 me or anything
like that43. It’s just comforting.”
“The area
around here is nice. It’s populated. So the lighting is a good amount44. It’s not too bright45 and it’s
just the right setting46
for a romantic mood47.”
Jim
Dougherty says he understands that Washington city officials want to make the sidewalks48 safe49. But he says
the city set up50
two times the number of streetlamps than were necessary. And he says the lights
are not designed well. They send light into the sky, where it is not needed. He
says the street lamps are more for looks than safety51.
“The fact
is the right amount52
of light is the right amount of light, and if you double it then you do not increase53 the public
safety benefit, but you do increase the cost. You increase the energy use. You
increase the climate impacts and the health effects. So, this is a classic
example of over-lighting54.”
On their
visit to the Capitol Hill, he and reporter Rosanne Skirble go to the grounds55 of a large
apartment building. The grounds are lit
by56 a combination of traditional lights that brighten57, or
illuminate, the grounds and walls. There
are also58 more modern lamps that send light downward59 in one
place where it is needed.
In the
recent past, the Capitol Hill neighborhood had its share60 of crime. It still has reports of robbery61, home break-ins62 and murder63.
Ways to
light our cities without causing light pollution
There are
signs of new lighting on the wide
streets near the United States Capitol building. Jim Dougherty says
that soon streetlights will not be necessary. But he says efficient lighting
for sidewalks provide65
safety without wasting energy66
or causing light pollution.
“Pretty soon67 in
streets now we are not going to need streetlights because car headlights68 have become so bright. They are
so effective. We use illuminated systems, paint stripe markers69 and reflectors. So, we really
don’t need street lights. But we will need sidewalk lighting. They are lower70. They are dimmer71. They are
more efficient, and they get the job
done72 without wasting all that money and all that energy.”
With knowledge73 comes
action, he says. He explains that city officials are taking steps74 to stop wasteful spending75 and protect public health.
“In some
communities, they are adopting new technologies that they dim76 the lights, after say 1 a.m.,when people
don’t really need it. So that's an important way to save77. There are also developing technologies
now when you step into a park or when you drive your car down a street, the lights come on78 because
they have motion sensors. Or they sense79
your cell phone. They come on when there is someone there and then they turn off80.”
A motion sensor81 turns
lights on or off by detecting motion. Motion sensors can reduce lighting by 90
percent and still be effective. Mr. Dougherty hopes more communities use
energy-saving devices like this82.
He says he hopes that in the future, we humans can reclaim83 the night sky. I’m Anna Matteo. What is the night sky like where you
live?84 Are you lucky enough to see the stars? Or do you
live in a city that has lots of light pollution? Let us know in the
comments section.
Vocabulary
1.
night
sky = céu noturno
2. knows one thing = sabe uma coisa
3. get away from= fuja de
4. street lamps = lâmpadas de rua
5. buildings = prédio
6. signs = placas
7. darker = mais escuro
8. turn down the lights = apagar as
luzes
9. improve = melhorar
10. stargazing = observação de estrelas
11. health = saúde
12.
What
does Earth look like from space? = Como a Terra se parece do espaço
13.
appears
to shine = parece brilhar
14.
orange
cloud = nuvem laranja
15.
haze
= névoa
16.
keeps
us from seeing = nos impede de ver
17.
outdoor
lighting = iluminação externa
18.
task
= tarefa
19.
that
it's designed for = para a qual foi designada
20.
In
fact = na verdade
21.
either
wasted or = ou desperdiçada ou
22.
harmful
= prejudicial
23.
too
much = demais
24.
disturbs
= perturba
25.
is
linked to = está ligado a
26.
needless
= desnecessário
27.
climate
issue= questão climática
28.
worried
about= preocupado sobre
29.
putting
= colocando
30.
up
there = lá em cima
31.
coal
= carvão
32.
global
warming = aquecimento global
33.
straight up = direto lá para cima
34.
neighborhood
= bairro
35.
round
= Redondo(a)
36.
globe-shaped = em forma de globo
37.
is being produced = esta sendo produzido(a)
38.
disagree
= discordar
39.
evening
walk = caminhada noturna
40.
feel
safe = sentir-se seguro
41.
no
one = ninguem
42.
hurt
= magoar, machucar
43. anything like that = qualquer coisa
assim
44. amount = quantia
45. too bright = brilhante demais
46. setting = cenário
47. romantic mood = clima romantic
48. sidewalks = calçadas
49. safe = seguro(a)
50. set up = instalou
51. safety = segurança
52. right amount = quantia certa
53. increase = aumentar
54. over-lighting = excesso de
iluminação
55. grounds = terrenos, áreas
56. lit by = iluminado por
57. brighten = clarear
58. There are also = existem também
59. Downward = para baixo, descendente
60. Share = cota
61. Robbery = roubo
62. home break-ins = invasão de
residencies
63. murder = assassinato
64. wide streets = ruas largas
65. provide = fornecer
66. without wasting energy = sem
desperdiçar energia
67. Pretty soon = muito em breve
68. car headlights = farois de carros
69. stripe markers = marcadores de
faixas
70. lower = mais baixo(a)
71. dimmer = escuro(a)
72. get the job done = fazem o trabalho
73. knowledge = conhecimento
74. taking steps = tomando medidas
75. wasteful spending = gastos
desnecessários
76. dim = diminuir (luzes)
77. save = economizar
78. the lights come on = as luzes se
acendem
79. sense = captar, perceber
80. turn off = apagar
81. motion sensor = sensor de movimento
82.
devices like this = dispositivos como estes
83.
reclaim
= recuperar
84.
What
is the night sky like where you live? = Como é o céu onde voce mora