Vancouver has too many bright lights and needs to be dimmed a bit: city councillor

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Vancouver may join other major cities and turn down the lights.

The NPA city councillor behind the initiative calls it a real problem in need of a solution.

Elizabeth Ball believes the bright glow from homes, businesses and street lights causes a complex series of issues for people and animals, “like pollution, which like trespass in the city.”

“We all know what it’s like to have light come in through our window that we don’t want. That light can actually make us sick,” she adds.

“Almost every parking lot has those horrible lights that cause a lot of glare. You look up into them and then you look away and you can’t see anything. And certainly, there are many, many big-box stores. There are all kinds of areas in the city where those kinds of lights really do affect us.”

She adds light pollution is one of the major killers of birds. “Over a billion birds are killed a year simply because of too much light going up in the sky and confusing the birds.”

She points out New York City and the state of New York have brought in light legislation. “They’re asking people to lower the lights when they’re not being used.”

“We’re not talking about plunging the city into darkness. People don’t need to worry about their safety being compromised. It’s about getting the light to the right place,” she explains.

Ball is calling for new bylaws or strategies to deal with what she and others call a real problem.