On a clear night in Lakewood...
One of the things Dark Sky Parks are all about is bringing energy efficiency and less light pollution to America. They try to lead by example. The parking lots and pathways and buildings are lit up, but in ways to not add to light pollution. As they point out that when 80% of light energy is projected in ways that are not beneficial like up into the air, it is just costing money. It is also akin to burning money, as in this day and age you can harness all of the energy in a light and use a majority of it for the task you need, and lighting only what needs to be lit.
I bring this up as Lakewood tries desperately to reinvent itself and recapture hearts with the overly bright and gaudy One Lakewood Place they claim will have no impact on neighborhoods.
More suited for Las Vegas then a bedroom community like Lakewood.
And the work for "history"...
Which is quaint during the day, but overkill and extremely wasteful at night, with 80% of light energy being pointed nowhere.
What if, you could sit in your backyard with your children and look up and see this...
Dark Sky Park within one football field of a parking lot for 100 cars safely lit, with lamps on tall light poles.
What of you could walk down to the park and sit under this with a special friend, wife or the kids.
Again, Dark Sky Park, 04.20.2018 11pm.
Wouldn't that be amazing? And it would cost all of us less in the long run, as it is 70% more energy efficient. Before Lakewood loses it way totally and dedicates itself not to the residents living here, but bringing in shoppers, visitors, and drinkers. What if Lakewood thought about residents first and foremost, and gave us all something to look at, something to brag about, something to show of friends and kids, and save us all money?
We can never get this...
But this is achievable.
And all City Hall has to do is put residents first. Instead of friends and business.
I bet it would make all of us healthier too!
.