Artificial lighting is one of the biggest consumers globally of energy. Much of the lighting is poorly designed and implemented so that much of it is not productive and actually has negative consequences.

Light pollution or artificial light at night, is the excessive or [poor use of artificial outdoor light. It disrupts the natural patterns of wildlife and plants and contributes to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, disrupts humans’ sleep and obscures the stars in the night sky.

Light pollution arises from careless and often misguided exterior night lighting practices. Light pollution wastes energy, causes hazardous glare, increases the production of greenhouse gases and compromises public safety. An unfortunate side effect of growth and development is increased levels of light pollution – light that doesn’t serve its intended purpose of providing safety and convenience. Instead it spills outward and upward from poorly designed or inefficient light fixtures trespassing on surrounding properties and polluting the skies. Over one billion dollars a year is wasted in North America alone because of ineffective or inefficient lighting.