How much would turning off some lights affect climate change?

[Skidmore]

I'm not talking about just turning off lights when you leave the room. I'm talking about the huge amount of light pollution and the heat generated by the lights of urban centers by lighted signs. Advertising and such. I live in a small village and we have one street about a mile in length. All our houses are along that street and we have a handful of businesses in town. We are part of a cluster of villages. In this collection of towns, only wooden painted signs are allowed and these can only be lit by spot lights at night. We have about 6 street lights in town. You can see the stars at night from our yards. Off in the distance, you can see the lights of the nearest urban centers, all about 20 miles distant. But, where we are, we experience night as darkness unless the moon is full--then you learn to appreciate the full effect of moonlight.

[Saturday]

1. I'm thinking of Vegas.

Their whole 'thing' apart from the gambling is lights.

[guardian]

2. none n/t

[Fumesucker]

3. After the Loma Prieta quake in 1989 people were calling 911 to report a gas cloud in the sky

It was the Milky Way that had people freaking out.

The sky has only gotten brighter in the meantime.

http://books.google.com/books?id=mM20uIOPdNMC&pg=PT100&lpg=PT100&dq=loma+prieta+911+milky+way&source=bl&ots=DMqlbzR8gh&sig=gfMP794ouW0VfvkKXgLqqhfH7-g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OvKzUIDXIJSI8QT7-oA4&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAw


Interactive dark sky map:

http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/

[AndyTiedye]

4. They Can Do it With LEDs for a Fraction of the Energy

LEDs are far more efficient, and they last a whole lot longer.
Switching over to LEDs is saving a huge amount of energy and will save a lot more.

LED light is easier to aim as well, so less of it goes off into the sky.

[amborin]

5. some cities have "lights off at night" re: their skyscrapers, to help migratory birds, which are att

attracted to the lights (they mainly fly at night), collide with the buildings, and perish.

Huge numbers perish each year in this manner.

Chicago may still have such a program.

Lights off at night would be doubly beneficial.

[Arctic Dave]

6. They could get rid of every third one on our street and it

would still be lit up very well.

If people can survive out in the countryside with minimal street lighting I don't see why urbanites can't take a try at it.

[piechartking]

7. Could have a big impact

Industrial use of electricity is a huge component of Green House Gas emissions. Residential, not so much, less than 15% of GHG emissions I think. But big industrial use of electricity, like what I think you're alluding to, is more like 20 - 30%. I don't know exact percentages, but it's on the EPA's website.