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From: jerry@oliveb.UUCP (Jerry Aguirre)
Newsgroups: net.astro,net.astro.expert
Subject: Re: Light Pollution
Message-ID: <498@oliveb.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 10-Jul-85 15:46:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: oliveb.498
Posted: Wed Jul 10 15:46:34 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 15-Jul-85 06:36:35 EDT
References: <770@houxl.UUCP>
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 32
Xref: watmath net.astro:750 net.astro.expert:152

>        Another reason, however, that each of us should be concerned
>        about light pollution is economic waste.  Ralph Nader has
>        identified light pollution as one of the most serious forms
>        of energy waste in the United States, and a study by Dr.
>        Arthur Upgren of Wesleyan University reports that if the use
>        of outdoor lighting continues to increase at the present
>        rate it will account for over one half of all the electrical
>        power usage in the country by the year 2000!  Additional new
>        power plants will undoubtedly be required to supply this
>        power, and their construction will be financed by all of us
>        with only the power companies standing to gain.  Also,
>        regarless of ones views on nuclear power, a fact stated by
>        Dr. Upgren is that "if new nuclear power plants become
>        necessary in the coming years, outdoor lighting will be the
>        paramount reason for their existence."

Garbage! Street lights and other NIGHT lighting do NOT create a need
for additional power plants.  Power plant capacity is determined by
peak power usage which occurs during the DAY.  At night power plants
idle and many are shut down.  We already have capacity to handle night
lighting to the year 2000.  It is all those air conditioners running in
the afternoon that will require more power plants.

I agree that many people use excessive or inefficient night lighting.
Then there are the ones that leave them on all day as well.  In
non-hydroelectric areas this does result in pollution and waste.

A good argument is weakened by the inclusion of even one erroneous 
point.

				Jerry Aguirre @ Olivetti ATC
{hplabs|fortune|idi|ihnp4|tolerant|allegra|tymix}!oliveb!jerry