April News: A Washington Community Provides Motion Sensing Lights for Residents..and More.

This month, I welcomed three amazing guests to the Light Pollution News Podcast: Leo Smith of ReduceLP.com, Chetna Misra of Lightbahn, and Johan Eklöf, bat researcher and author of the Darkness Manifesto. The two episodes Conquering Nature and Mandate Controls can be found over on our website at LightPollutionNews.com, or on any podcast outlets you listen from.

This month, you’ll recall that Connecticut made headlines when Leo Smith sued the state for failing to comply with its own lighting laws. The Superior Court dismissed the case, claiming darkness wasn't a protected natural resource and that court administrators could reclassify decorative lights as essential. Essentially, the court said bureaucratic creativity trumped compliance with the law.

Texas faced a more devastating threat when former DHS Secretary, Kristi Noem, waived 28 environmental laws to fast track a border wall through Big Bend National Park. The justification claimed high illegal entry, but facts on the ground contradicted this. Border crossings dropped 74 percent between 2023 and 2025, and the park already employed camera networks and checkpoints. The wall jeopardized Big Bend's Dark Sky designation and fragmented wildlife corridors. The park generated 64 million dollars to surrounding economies in 2024 partly because of its dark sky status. Eventually, the Department of Homeland Security removed the Smart Wall designation, though wall construction is expected to begin for the nearby Big Bend Ranch State Park. It’s unclear what impact that will have on Big Bend’s night sky, though it is expected to be noticeable.

New Zealand's new planning bill threatened Kaikoura's International Dark Sky sanctuary status. The community implemented responsible lighting with 3000K fixtures and motion sensors, but new legislation threatened to eliminate those protections by allowing Wellington to overrule local governance on development related items.

Headlight research contradicted complaints. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety found bright headlights prevented accidents. The UK Department of Transportation reported downward accident trends between 2014 and 2023. Meanwhile, car manufacturers are creating new problems with in-cabin accent lighting that ruin night vision. Porsche, being an exception here, designed interior glow, not by direct light, but by casting light away from the occupants.

Belgium removed 75 streetlights from a national park after auditing determined they served no purpose. Nicolas Goethals, who leads the Dark Network initiative, advocated for darkness as the default nighttime mode.

Chile staved off disaster when AES Andes halted renewable power plant plans near the Atacama Desert Observatory. Astronomers organized effective advocacy by framing development concerns.

Des Moines residents successfully opposed lighting the historic Waveland Golf Course. The Drake Observatory sat nearby, and residents packed meetings voicing concerns never before solicited. The city eventually rescinded plans.

On the streetlights front, Spokane decided to let the free market reign! The city distributed motion sensor solar lighting to residents through federal funding, creating such demand that it generated a backlog. Shenzhen, China modified streetlights to balance driver safety with migrating bird protection.

In research a meta-analysis linked nighttime light exposure to 31 percent increased diabetes risk, with interior lighting posing 66 percent elevated risk. Studies showed artificial light delayed wildflower blooming up to ten days, disrupted coral reef fish reproduction, and altered beetle larvae behavior. Nocturnal pollinators faced disorientation from artificial light that damaged vision and complicated flower finding.

Finally, we use light for a myriad of purposes. Down in Florida, a Winter Pride celebration projected rainbow lasers visible 60 miles away until 3 a.m! Not quite sure that’s the best of use of light, but this next one seems more reasonable. Istanbul's Mahya tradition of light-spelled religious messages faces a generational challenge as the 400 year old practice may disappear as a master craftsmen sets sights on giving up the practice. The Mahya practice involves stringing lights (now Edison bulbs) between minarets to spell out words.

Why not take a listen to the April episodes below:

Conquering Nature: https://lightpollutionnews.com/podcast/conquering-nature/

Mandate Controls: https://lightpollutionnews.com/podcast/mandate-controls/