February 19th, 2010

From Green Right Now Reports

Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology, already making inroads in the traffic signal and Christmas tree light industries, will get a new application in New England: Green Mountain Power has submitted a plan to the Vermont Public Service Board to offer LED lights in streetlights throughout its Colchester, Vt., service area.

The more energy-efficient lights would replace worn-out mercury vapor lighting. Already, the Colchester utility is the first electric utility in New England to offer an LED rate for outdoor lighting.

If the plan gains approval from regulators, customers will be able to request LEDs when installing new streetlights or replacing old ones. Mercury vapor lights will be phased out over time.

[Read more →]

March 27th, 2009

By Carol Sonenklar

During a power outage in California in the 1990s, alarmed residents reportedly called in to report a strange, cloudy shape in the nighttime sky. It turned out to be the Milky Way- seen for the first time. For those of us who live in urban or suburban areas, an overabundance of artificial nighttime light, or light pollution, is nothing new. But light pollution isn’t just a bane to astronomers and an annoyance to the rest of us: studies show that it also poses real health risks, including some increased rates of cancer.

[Read more →]