AT: Light Right To Bring Back The Night

The focus of this presentation will be on light pollution and the adverse impact from unshielded light on plants, animals and humans, including glare and visibility problems and health effects. Deborah will discuss the threat of the proliferation of bright white street lighting and present solutions that double down on the advantages of LED light. We will learn how to light with minimum impact for greater visibility at the least energy use and where to buy good quality lighting.

Deborah Moran has had a lifelong interest in astronomy since her childhood in Midland, Texas where all the scenery is in the sky. She has been a long-time member of the Houston Astronomical Society where she has served in a number of capacities. She also participates in outreach programs and is a volunteer telescope operator at the George Observatory in Brazos Bend State Park. She retired from the Houston Symphony after 27 years in the violin section.

Deborah is the 2017 recipient of the International Dark-Sky Association’s Hoag-Robinson Award for education of government officials about outdoor lighting issues. In 2010, her Woodside neighborhood became the first one within the Houston city limits allowed to install low-glare fully shielded decorative streetlights. For the past four years she has presented concerns about the choice of high-glare white LED street lights in Houston to city officials and hopes that the Houston area will someday join other communities in moving to warm, soft-white or amber LEDs which are recommended by the American Medical Association for their reduced glare and reduced disruption of day/night circadian function. She has also lobbied for a lighting ordinance or education program to reduce security light glare. Deborah created the website softlighthouston.com to educate citizens on lighting issues. The site prompted the Houston Police Department to recommend soft shielded lighting.