Update on concerns about Canberra's LED street light upgrade

Thank you so much for supporting a cause that will shape Canberra's skies and residential areas.

Some people have been very badly affected by the new LED lights. Briefly, these lights are:

• so extremely bright that they dazzle and blind
• highly directional so that they create shadows
• actually hurt the eyes if you happen to glance at them
• rated at a high 4000 Kelvin (which intensifies the glare and leads to  a host of health issues)
•  detrimental to flora and fauna

Canberra's old street lights are not perfect but nowhere near as bad as the new ones with LEDs.

Since starting this petition,  I have been in contact with people at the forefront of the battle against LEDs in Australia and internationally, who pointed me to research and studies on the collateral effects of LEDs.

The http://alandb.darksky.org/  database contains dozens of abstracts and articles about the dangers and effects of light.  For example, check out this quote: "Mood states in bipolar disorder appear to be closely linked to changes in sleep and circadian function. "

If you or anyone you care about is adversely affected by the new LED street lights, please:

• Make your voice heard by lodging a complaint with  Fix My Street or from the Complaint Page from the Access Canberra website.
• Write your complaint to Chris Steel MLA, who is responsible for the new lights (steel@act.gov.au)
• Join the Facebook group Canberrans Against Light Pollution, where you will learn more about the efforts and communications this Group has endured to date.
• Some detailed communications and issues discussed with Chris Steel  are also shared here
• Communicate your concerns to your local MLA and any other politician who will listen.

We are not asking for much other than planning lighting adequately.

We request:

1. No new LED street lights should be installed until this issue has been fully sorted out.

2. All current LED street lights should immediately be turned off, dimmed right down, shielded on all sides, or fitted with adequate diffusers, so as to eliminate the intense glare.

3. The ACT Government should begin a process of: (a) research into the options, and (b) proper public consultation, one which includes a decent trial run of any proposed luminaires.

Your voice count. Let there be some common sense!