Governments should save energy by curbing street lighting

Posted on 16. Mar, 2009 by Ross in Government Policy

Lighting our lives comes at a significant environmental cost. Around 20% of the UK’s electrical energy is used in the creation of artificial light, much of it through inefficient and over-powered lighting sources. Whilst home owners increasingly resort to energy-efficient light bulbs to lower their energy costs, and businesses are able to invest in intelligent energy-saving lighting such as the Somar Eluma, the British government seems relatively slothful in its’ attempts to improve energy efficiency. Although there is massive scope for reductions in energy use from the nation’s public buildings, an obvious target for cut-backs can be identified simply by looking up at the orange glow which obscures the night sky across the majority of the country.

Public street lighting in the UK is responsible for 566,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions on an annual basis, and there is a growing call for that to be reduced with more intelligent rationing of street lighting’s use. Some local councils have already taken a lead: Powys council was amongst the first wave of local administrations to start switching off selected lights, and Essex council is aiming to save 25% of its’

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