PO Box 61051 Durham, NC 27715-1051 Phone:  (919) 416-5077    Fax:  (919) 286-3985 ncwarn@ncwarn.org   www.ncwarn.org

Waste Awareness and Reduction Network                NC WARN

 

 

NEWS BRIEF                                                                       Contact:  Jim Warren

July 27, 2005                                                                                        919-416-5077

 

Cut Daytime Outdoor Lighting to Protect Public From Brownouts

 

Businesses Urged to Stop Pouring Electricity “Into the Sewer”

 

A Statement from NC WARN:

 

In every North Carolina city today, numerous businesses and public buildings are burning high wattage outdoor lights in the bright sunlight, despite the current heat wave.  This is the equivalent of pouring clean water directly into the sewer all day long. 

 

Careless lighting adds to the public safety threat that could leave many people vulnerable to dangerous effects of the heat wave.  Such high-heat, high-stress days create prime conditions for failure of the power grid – with brownouts in several state cities yesterday – and potentially entire power plants.

 

Today, NC WARN members are encouraging businesses to turn their unneeded lights off – from now on.  Doing so can make a significant reduction in the current record-breaking demand for power.  We also are asking members to send examples of senseless lighting to ncwarn@ncwarn.org.

 

A stroll down any commercial thoroughfare will reveal many culprits: diners with neon signs competing against the sun; parking lots at “big box” stores fully lit during bright summer days; a dental office with several outdoor bulbs blasting away in vain.

 

Many building owners burn exterior lights around the clock, saying it’s easier than turning them on and off.  However, there are simple, inexpensive timers and power cells that allow lighting to be used only when needed.  Such devices are sold at most hardware stores; many can be installed in minutes.

 

In addition to challenging the power grid, wasteful usage throughout the year contributes to air pollution, mercury in fish, global warming, and the potential for new, unnecessary power plants.

 

The second priority for now is turning off ornamental lighting in the middle of the night.  There are many genuine security needs for all-night lighting, but far too much energy is wasted through decorative lighting while most of the public sleeps.  Examples include commercial buildings and car dealerships.  

 

Due to the increasingly severe negative impact from unwise energy usage, our society must shift to a conservation ethic, realizing that our actions have direct consequences for our own wellbeing and that of our neighbors.  These effects are most acute during a heat wave, but are always present.

 

However, it may well take local or state requirements to stop careless lighting, the same way many cities now restrict water wastage.  Our power supply is a similar essential resource.  There are many other ways people can save large amounts of power and money while remaining comfortable, but to stop lighting empty space is among the most basic.

 

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