Photo: Flood light, geralt via Pixabay
ASNV submitted a letter to the Fairfax County Planning Commission supporting a proposed zoning ordinance amendment on outdoor lighting. The proposed amendment follows the recommendations of the American Medical Association and the International Dark Sky Initiative by proposing a maximum Correlated Color Temperature of 3000 K for all outdoor lighting except for sports fields. Low color temperature is important for both people and wildlife. High color temperature lights have adverse effects on circadian rhythms.
ASNV also supported proposals to reduce maximum lumens for outdoor lighting of single-family dwellings and motion-activated security lights and to set a 10:00 PM cut-off for residential outdoor playing field/court lighting. Bright lights adversely affect sleep patterns of birds and other wildlife, causing increased stress and lower reproductive success.