The Problem

Light pollution in East Baton Rouge Parish has escalated into a significant environmental and public health issue that demands immediate attention.

The recent replacement of urban street lights with extremely bright white/blue spectrum LEDs creates blinding glare, impinges on homes, and creates sharply contrasting bright and areas that endanger motorists and pedestrians. 

These lights obscure the natural beauty of the stars, and disrupt ecosystems through their imapact on wildlife, especially migrating birds, insects, and animal reproduction and feeding. They pose serious health and safety risks to residents. Blue spectrum LEDs are more attractive to termites. Thus, Formosan subterranean termites are more abundant in residential neighborhoods during mating season. 

Light pollution is recognized by the American Medical Association as a significant threat to public health, associated with sleep disorders, depression, obesity, and certain cancers.

The Solution

East Baton Rouge Parish can take practical steps to mitigate light pollution and light trespass by:

Replacing the new, bright white/blue cold spectrum LEDs with lower-intensity LED lights in warm spectrum wavelengths, installing shields and diffusers on fixtures to mitigate light trespass and reduce excessive glare from uncovered LEDs. These modifications will direct illumination downward onto public streets and sidewalks where it is needed, and not sideways or up, where it produces light pollution (sky glow) and light trespass (glare onto private property).

We urge administrators of EBR to prioritize this issue, which is negatively impacting human health, wildlife, and local economic activities that depend on natural processes, including light/dark daily cycles. In addition, ordinances restricting public illumination by private businesses and institutions should be better enforced.

We ask that public utility providers and contractors terminate installation of the bright, unshielded LEDs.

In summary, we ask for the replacement the bright white/blue cold spectrum LEDs with warm spectrum wavelength lights and installation of directional shields and diffusers.

Please sign this petition to show your support for reducing light pollution in East Baton Rouge Parish and help us make a positive change for our community and environment.

Additional Information and Sources

City of Baton Rouge Unified Development Code light ordinance: "The intent of this ordinance is to prevent excessive glare and unwanted light trespass, ensuring that all light emanating from a particular development is confined to that development site. " (Chapter 14).

https://www.brla.gov/706/Unified-Development-Code

LSU AgCenter article with more details about light pollution and insects, with emphasis on fireflies. https://www.lsuagcenter.com/articles/page1774886414931

Articles dealing with the link between light pollution and human cancers. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7764771/​

https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/early-life-exposure-to-air-and-light-pollution-linked-to-increased-risk-of-pediatric-thyroid-cancer/  

Light pollution state laws in the U.S.

https://www.ncsl.org/environment-and-natural-resources/states-shut-out-light-pollution

Urban lighting and the myth of greater security.

https://darkskyarkansas.org/security-and-street-lighting-2/

Benefits of reducing light pollution to personal safety and well-being.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132319300265

A novel approach to street lights.

newsweek.com/denmark-red-street-lighting-gladsaxe-11488484

A collection of research findings from podcasts on the subject.

https://lightpollutionnews.com/research/ecology/

For additional information.

https://darksky.org/