New LED street lights

[Chez2]

I'm sure I read in the New Scientist that light pollution measured from space is worse since LED street lighting started being installed. I can't recall the article saying this was due to more streets around the world installing street lighting. This isn't what I had expected as I find the new lights in our village very bright around the light but then very dark between the lights. I can see why they have been changed over but I don't think you can just switch the bulbs and leave the lights the same distance as previously. I don't find it good from a pedestrians point of view.

[apelike]

Doubt it - asked them to turn the ones outside my house down a year ago and if anything, they seem brighter, although my light meter says they are the same intensity...

 

Maybe it is just that I am becoming more affected by LEDs - as is most wildlife - http://www.pressherald.com/2014/10/05/sea-change-night-lighting-poses-threats-to-wildlife-and-to-us/

and as are humans

https://wellnessmama.com/15730/orange-sunglasses/

 

Although the SCC dispute all these reports...

 

Its not surprising that they dispute them especially the misinformation in the second link. Most of what is alleged is just pseudoscience with very little data to back it up.

 

Quote, apparently from Harvard medical School:

 

"Study after study has linked working the night shift and exposure to light at night to several types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity."

 

---------- Post added 13-02-2017 at 22:16 ----------

 

I don't find it good from a pedestrians point of view.

 

Just installed them in my area and must admit I agree. However I'm a bit miffed as there was a sodium light about 4M from my bedroom window which gave a glow. Now its been replaced with a LED I now have to turn the light on at night when I get up for a wee.

[Vrsaljko]

Since a new LED street lamp has been fitted to replace the traditional well shaded yellow bulbed one that used to be in the site we can no longer see the stars in the sky at night. This may not be much of concern to the council but they have taken away my view of the night sky.

 

This was the first thing I noticed too. I used to be able to look up at the stars from my back yard but it's just too bright now. It's like aliens are landing!

 

I definitely preferred the old ones. They had a nice warm glow to them and also looked better from a distance.

[owl1234]

It's bright by the houses, but dark on the parts where there's no lighting.

[cgksheff]

.........., but dark on the parts where there's no lighting.

 

Can't argue with that!

[AlexAtkin]

I can definitely see more stars since they switched to LED. Its really a matter of how close you are to the lights.

 

Obviously if you are right underneath one its an issue, but then surely most houses will have at least one window above the lights you can look to the sky from?

 

Complaining that we have the right to see the same sky from the city as in the countryside is moronic, of course we don't. Lighting has ALWAYS impeded the night sky in the city, but my experience is definitely that it has improved not gotten worse.

[Guest makapaka]

We live in a massive city - if you're into star gazing of a night you're not ideally situated.

 

Gee whizz....

 

Maybe they should do away with lights so we can all look at the stars and bump into each other whilst walking around and complaining about road accidents and burglars etc.

 

What is wrong with people?

[WasThatWise]

We live in a massive city - if you're into star gazing of a night you're not ideally situated.

 

Gee whizz....

 

Maybe they should do away with lights so we can all look at the stars and bump into each other whilst walking around and complaining about road accidents and burglars etc.

 

What is wrong with people?

 

I think there is a general feeling of disappointment with the new lighting bearing in mind the effort that went in to installing it. Got to agree with the light/dark effect making some smaller roads look like giant zebra crossings, the one outside my house must be turned down as it is not as bright as others just adding to the gloom. One other effect I have noticed is when driving at night in certain situations at junctions you cannot tell if it's a cars headlights or a street lamp shining on road but this can lead to more care at junctions or being delayed more at junctions depending on whether you are a half full or half empty person. As for the stars I don't really care but if I did I would look out of the back window.

[dutch]

We live in a massive city - if you're into star gazing of a night you're not ideally situated.

 

Gee whizz....

 

Maybe they should do away with lights so we can all look at the stars and bump into each other whilst walking around and complaining about road accidents and burglars etc.

 

What is wrong with people?

 

Sheffield is the smallest of five cities I have lived in, it doesn't even have an underground subway or ikea. Its light pollution is pretty bad but thankfully Sheffield does not come even close to the intense light globe you see over a real massive city. Sheffield is the first city I started to appreciate the beauty of the stars, but if you are in city centre there is a small area of light pollution that is just as bad as all other cities out there.

Edited February 16, 2017 by dutch

[AlexAtkin]

I don't think the dark/light patches are massively different to the old lights, its just that being a white light you can actually see it so much more clearly now. Before, the colour of the light obscured everything.

 

Its WAY easier to see pot holes and if that thing in the middle of the pavement is mud or dog poo. I find its way more comfortable walking around at night, even more when cycling. As it was completely impossible to identify pot holes before, until you were already about to hit them.