My belief is that global warming is real. Certainly, this is a politically charged statement. But I chose to take sides with environmental scientists worldwide that provide quantitative evidence to support their claims. A major contributor to the problem is energy waste. As I consider all of us to be stewards to the environmental health of our only home planet, simple changes in our behaviors and practices can yield major positive benefits and save money.

One of the easiest avenues to responsible energy conservation is recognizing the dark side of light pollution. It’s estimated that light pollution results in $3 billion yearly in unnecessary energy waste. This is primarily due to the fact that 35 percent of outdoor lighting is wasted due to poorly designed lighting fixtures.

Fully shielded light fixtures are essential in curbing light pollution. Properly shielded lights prevent light from escaping above the horizontal line of the bulb itself. By focusing the light downward and targeting light towards what you want illuminated, rather than trying to artificially move the neighborhood from night to day, energy savings can be realized because lower wattage bulbs can now be employed.

But the type of bulb you chose is of equal importance. LED bulbs are best. Thier miserly consumption of electricity is their prime attraction. Yet, all LED bulbs are not created equal. Bulbs that have a Color Corrected Temperature above 3000k defeat the advantages of fully shielded fixtures. This is due to the emission of longer wavelengths of light that easily scatters and undermines the advantages of a fully shielded fixture.

Human health is also a prime concern when selecting LED bulbs with the proper color temperature. The American Medical Association is now identifying a large assortment of medical maladies associated with over exposure to blue light wavelengths. That is, lights that are above the 3000k range in CRT.

Finally, another advantage of implementing intelligent lighting design is purely aesthetic. That of protecting the natural beauty of the night sky. Its’ been estimated that 80 percent of Americans have never seen the Milky Way.

A common denominator for all of Mother Nature is that everything is the product of “star stuff.” To deny ourselves the beauty of the heavens is to pull the blinds on our origins.

For a more in-depth inspection on light pollution, please consider attending a presentation on the topic at 7 p.m. March 5 at the Cass County Council on Aging.

If the skies cooperate, telescope viewing will be offered at the conclusion of the presentation.

ROBERT PARRISH, is and Edwardsburg resident and member of the Cass County Parks Board. He has spearheaded a project to have T.K. Lawless Park named a Dark Sky site.