Alec Fisher

The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) has a long
association with the IAU, producing a joint guidelines in 1980
on minimising urban sky glow near observatories. Since then
CIE technical reports on sky glow and obtrusive light have set
desirable quantitative limits for the basis of nation standards

However there must be a national resolve to draw up standard
and implement them and some leaders – most international
recommendations do not arrive from the heavens engraved on
tablets! Australian Standards have been leading the way on the
control of obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting, especially the
upward light from road lighting luminaires.

Major influences on the limitation of  urban sky glow may be
indirect. The wide-spread acceptance of Standards is the
perception, by the general public, that spill light can be obtrusive
in their everyday lives and that it is a waste of energy. Currently,
in Australia, the movement to limit greenhouse gas emissions by
reducing energy consumption is a big driver to make lighting more
efficient. On the other hand public space lighting is recognised as
an essential service with great potential to reduce accidents and
provide security.

A reasonable balance is generally achievable between the sometimes
conflicting goals of lighting benefits, minimising sky glow and energy
and costs.

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Alec Fisher is Chair of Standards Australia  "Road Lighting" and
"Obtrusive Effects of Outdoor Lighting" committees.

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