[Draft] Light Pollution Act

[Hooseria Magna]

Concerning the negative effects of Light Pollution on the health and productivity of citizens.

Recognizing the; sleep deprivation caused by sky glow, disruption of circadian rhyme, and harm sky glow causes to the internal clock of flora and fauna through; the loss of seasonal habits, breeding cycles, hunting periods, loss of navigational skills, disorientation, and collisions with buildings (specifically by birds). Light pollution is also recognized to; increase the risk for serious health issues such as cancer and diabetes, disrupt brain wave patterns, hormone production, cell regulation etc., impair the development of circadian rhyme in premature babies, lower natural melatonin levels. Lastly, recognizing that Light pollution makes astronomical research much more difficult and lowers the attractiveness of affected areas.

Placing forth, believing in and in response to a Government's duty to protect the health and security of all of their law-abiding citizens, a law that hereby:

1. Requires all outdoor lighting fixtures, other than freestanding spotlights, to have a hood that keeps the light from illuminating the sky
   
2. Prohibits the use of outdoor spotlights used to illuminate the front of a building, tree, et cetera, where the light is directed towards the sky.
   
   1. Bulbs smaller than 300-400 lm* are exempt.
      
   2. No more than 2-5* spotlights are allowed per 0.5 acres (0.2 ha)
3. Requires blinds, or some other shielding device, over windows that are connected to both the outside of a building and a room wherein:
   
   1. 30-40 lm/ft² (100-130 lm/m²) are used in commercial or industrial settings*⁺.
      
   2. 10-20 lm/ft² (30-60 lm/m²) are used in residential settings*⁺.
4. Requires that all outdoor lighting fixtures be aimed away from houses so as to not illuminate the interior of the house.
   
5. Requires all fixtures that do not comply with the previous provisions be turned off at a time that is within 2 hours of dusk* and are allowed to be turned back on at a time that is within 2 hours of dawn*.

Appendix
*the specific number is set by the local government from within this range
⁺This is based on the general recommended values for lighting. The commercial value is based on the high activity non-focused (not task-specific) value. The residential value is based on the low activity value.

[Servilis]

As someone who used to like Astronomy when younger, I agree with this, as I struggled to use my telescope in such conditions.

[Morover]

"Against. When there's no tangible consequence or benefit to an issue, there is no reason for the General Assembly to rule on it."

[Tinhampton]

[tab=30][snip preamble]... hereby:

1. [snip Article 1]
2. Limits the use of outdoor lights used to illuminate the front of a building, tree, et cetera, where the light faces the sky.

So lights can only be used outside "to illuminate the front of [an object] where the light faces the sky?" Or is the usage of external lighting only to be limited in these circumstances, without regard to street lights etc.?

[Araraukar]

Requires blinds, or some other shielding device, over windows that are connected to both the outside of a building and a room wherein light(s) over 6 lumens per square foot are used.

OOC: So no display windows ever anymore?

What would the category be? And instead of using a random value (6 lumens), use the reason that may be a value.

Your preamble also needs more explanations for why light pollution is bad.

[Hooseria Magna]

OOC: So no display windows ever anymore? What would the category be? And instead of using a random value (6 lumens), use the reason that may be a value. Your preamble also needs more explanations for why light pollution is bad.

OOC: I upped the lumens per square foot to 16 for commercial and industrial use because they require more light to stay functional. I also upped it to 10 Lm/ft² for residential because the average lumens for a light bulb used for lamps etc. is about 600 lumens and the average size of a bedroom, or a similar room, is about 100ft² so the 10 lm limit allows for 1000 lm to be used in the average room.

I will add more information on the side effects of light pollution in the preamble

[Hooseria Magna]

So lights can only be used outside "to illuminate the front of [an object] where the light faces the sky?" Or is the usage of external lighting only to be limited in these circumstances, without regard to street lights etc.?

OOC: I am planning on expanding on article 2. The article currently states that limits will be placed on the use of skyward facing lights that are used a decoration such as http://inewsstar.com/gallery/?url=distilleryinc.co/outdoor-house-spotlights/outdoor-wall-lights-for-houses-house-spotlights-rope-lighting-sp/. I am working to come up with specifics for the limits and would appreciate help in that regard.

[Morover]

"Many of these specifications do not make sense to me. '10 pm,' specifically, seems nonsensical. Additionally, what is the significance behind the '6 lumens per square foot' you refer to in clause 3? Currently, it seems to be arbitrary. I feel hesitancy towards any proposal which has such rigid specifications."

OOC: I feel it should be mentioned that Morover uses a standardized 30 hour(ish) timescale, measured from 00000 to 90000. This is due to the orientation of Morover's home planet.

[Hooseria Magna]

"Many of these specifications do not make sense to me. '10 pm,' specifically, seems nonsensical. Additionally, what is the significance behind the '6 lumens per square foot' you refer to in clause 3? Currently, it seems to be arbitrary. I feel hesitancy towards any proposal which has such rigid specifications."

OOC: I feel it should be mentioned that Morover uses a standardized 30 hour(ish) timescale, measured from 00000 to 90000. This is due to the orientation of Morover's home planet.

OOC: I upped the lumens per square foot to 16 for commercial and industrial use because they require more light to stay functional. I also upped it to 10 Lm/ft2 for residential because the average lumens for a light bulb used for lamps etc. is about 600 lumens and the average size of a bedroom, or a similar room, is about 100ft2 so the 10 lm limit allows for 1000 lm to be used in the average room.

The 10 pm is completely arbitrary. I may change the specifications to be a range where individual governments can decide which parameters they see fits best.

[Morover]

"Many of these specifications do not make sense to me. '10 pm,' specifically, seems nonsensical. Additionally, what is the significance behind the '6 lumens per square foot' you refer to in clause 3? Currently, it seems to be arbitrary. I feel hesitancy towards any proposal which has such rigid specifications."

OOC: I feel it should be mentioned that Morover uses a standardized 30 hour(ish) timescale, measured from 00000 to 90000. This is due to the orientation of Morover's home planet.

I upped the lumens per square foot to 16 for commercial and industrial use because they require more light to stay functional. I also upped it to 10 Lm/ft2 for residential because the average lumens for a light bulb used for lamps etc. is about 600 lumens and the average size of a bedroom, or a similar room, is about 100ft2 so the 10 lm limit allows for 1000 lm to be used in the average room.

The 10 pm is completely arbitrary. I may change the specifications to be a range where individual governments can decide which parameters they see fits best.

OOC: You'll find that you may want to put the reasons that such specifications are in place in the real-world, as opposed to just placing real-world limitations on them.

Also, I'm trying to say that the am/pm system won't work for all nations, so you'll need to put the reasons that you placed that limitation in place, too.

[Hooseria Magna]

OOC: You'll find that you may want to put the reasons that such specifications are in place in the real-world, as opposed to just placing real-world limitations on them.

Also, I'm trying to say that the am/pm system won't work for all nations, so you'll need to put the reasons that you placed that limitation in place, too.

OOC: I changed the time to be a range around dawn and dusk. I also made the lumens value a range and explained the reasoning for that too.

[Terttia]

OOC: How, exactly, is this an international issue?

[Hooseria Magna]

OOC: How, exactly, is this an international issue?

OOC: Light pollution is a common occurrence everywhere and affects all industrialized nations that don't have lighting regulations

[Terttia]

OOC: How, exactly, is this an international issue?

OOC: Light pollution is a common occurrence everywhere and affects all industrialized nations that don't have lighting regulations

OOC: That doesn’t answer my question; I know what light pollution is. I know of the effects of light pollution (living near a large metropolitan area).

Why is it the WA’s job to do this? Member states could regulate this themselves.

[Kenmoria]

“This issue is one that is far more suited to local council regulations than supranational law. Also, you seem not to consider circumstances where these mandates would be silly to adhere to. For example, you have required all outdoor Christmas lights to have hoods, which rather ruins their effect.”

[The New Nordic Union]

“For example, you have required all outdoor Christmas lights to have hoods, which rather ruins their effect.”

'And also things like positional lights at airports, which surely cannot be supported for the sake of safety.'

[Hooseria Magna]

“For example, you have required all outdoor Christmas lights to have hoods, which rather ruins their effect.”

'And also things like positional lights at airports, which surely cannot be supported for the sake of safety.'

Both of those examples would be allowed because of 3a

[Liberimery]

There’s also the fact that many cities invest in street lamps for their ability to act as passive crime deterrents. When’s the last time you described a scary individual as someone you want to meet in a well lit alley?

[Araraukar]

OOC: Please dismantle the wall-o-text that preamble is currently, into separate clauses (put related reasons together - like health effects in one clause, effects on animals in another, etc.).

Also, just a pointer that even in RL there are places where at times the sun doesn't set/rise at all during the course of one "day", and also that even if all light was aimed downwards from lamps, it's going to get reflected skywards and will create light pollution. I kinda know this first-hand, because I live in a city that's fairly solid on light pollution reduction.

I would suggest you apply the restictions to only apply to stuff that stays in place year-round so that you don't, for example, ban using floodlights in search and rescue operations. Or using Xmas decorations.

EDIT: And you still need to open up the random numbers into THE REASONS THE NUMBERS EXIST IN RL.

[The New Nordic Union]

'And also things like positional lights at airports, which surely cannot be supported for the sake of safety.'

Both of those examples would be allowed because of 3a

'Clause 3a deals with windows; airport positional lights are not usually, or rather never, inside buildings. Enlighten me if I am wong.' Katrin chuckles. 'Pun not intended.'

[Hooseria Magna]

Both of those examples would be allowed because of 3a

'Clause 3a deals with windows; airport positional lights are not usually, or rather never, inside buildings. Enlighten me if I am wong.' Katrin chuckles. 'Pun not intended.'

I meant 2a

[The New Nordic Union]

'Clause 3a deals with windows; airport positional lights are not usually, or rather never, inside buildings. Enlighten me if I am wong.' Katrin chuckles. 'Pun not intended.'

I meant 2a

OOC: Since a household LED bulb has a luminous flux of about 470 lm, I somehow doubt that.

[Kenmoria]

'Clause 3a deals with windows; airport positional lights are not usually, or rather never, inside buildings. Enlighten me if I am wong.' Katrin chuckles. 'Pun not intended.'

I meant 2a

(OOC: Runway lights are really quite bright, since they have to guide planes. Given that domestic lights can exceed 1000 lm, I very much doubt that runway lights will be within your threshold. I have also realised that aircraft warning lights on tall buildings are even brighter than runway lights, and would also be prohibited.)

[Morover]

"While I retain my position that this is not the place for the World Assembly to legislate, I would also tend to agree with my colleagues here that, in its current form, it would prove to be dangerous for many different activities."

[Polis Diamonil]

Due to its lack of apparent implications upon international weather systems and the broader climate, this seems like an environmental issue where international coordination is of little benefit, and which should therefore be handled on the national or even subnational (ie, regional) level. If the health implications of light pollution are substantive, that fact should become apparent as a viable source of differentiation between national regulatory regimes of differing quality, and need not be centrally mandated.

Insofar as wastage of light may impact the international climate, perhaps more work could be done on energy efficiency and/or international grid connectivity? I cannot claim to have memorized the legislative archive of the World Assembly, but... Hmm, actually, barring the possibility that adding this comment to the log of discussion inspires such work from other individuals, and pending further review of the legislative archive of the World Assembly, perhaps Polis Diamonil should attempt in the near future to draft something based upon the idea of advancing international standards for electrical grid interconnectivity. Expansions of international electrical markets could service environmental advantages while improving the trade status and economic efficiency of the nations of the World Assembly.