Lake Placid Dark Sky Initiative

By Georgia Jones

Many of the positive developments in the community over the past decade have come with unintended negative consequences on an important natural resource, the Adirondack night sky. The amount and brightness of lighting used in Lake Placid has increased over time, and some of this lighting goes where it was not intended to go – into the night sky, and into the houses of residents. This unintentional spillage into homes can cause serious human health issues and spillage into the sky diminishes our ability to see the stars.

As just one example, the ongoing transition from incandescent bulbs to LED lighting is good for energy efficiency but can increase light pollution, as LED lights are typically brighter and more blue than the incandescent lights they replace. In fact, at this point 85% of the US population cannot see the Milky Way, up from 75% just 10 years ago. In addition, some enhancements to the Town’s infrastructure – for example the refurbishment of the speed skating oval, which included a major upgrade to its lighting to accommodate television broadcast at the FISU Games – also inadvertently create light pollution throughout the town.

The good news is that this pollution is completely and easily reversible – and that this can be accomplished without compromising the intended purpose of the lights that are currently causing it. The Placid Lake shore owners can be leaders in this effort.

Satellite images highlight a unique natural resource of the Adirondack Park – dark night skies.

The Adirondack Park is one of the few places in the eastern United States with truly dark night skies. In much of the Adirondacks the Milky Way is visible on any clear night. Unfortunately that is not true of Lake Placid – it is the brightest spot in the Adirondacks, one of only three areas visible from space (see photo below). Placid Lake could lead the charge in reversing light pollution and would see the most immediate impact — there are only approximately 200 houses on the shore of the entire Lake, if those 200 home owners can make some simple changes we can completely reverse the increase in light pollution that has occurred over the past decades.

The Lake Placid Development Commission has formed a Dark Sky committee to consider ways the Town and Village can reverse some of our unintentional light pollution and ensure that Lake Placid residents and visitors can experience the beauty of the Adirondack night sky for generations to come.

Members of the Dark Sky committee introduced the initiative with a table at the recent Community Day. The table attracted a steady stream of Lake Placid residents concerned with light pollution. Residents expressed an interest in being able to see the stars at night and many noted a concern that more and brighter nighttime lights have been added to the community in recent years. Some highlighted an inability to practice astronomy or take night photographs due to light pollution, and others were just concerned with getting a good nights sleep. Bright lighting and glare at the speed skating oval and the bobsled run were cited by many as an issue. Bright lights left on all night on the shore of Placid Lake was another issue cited by residents.

A darker night sky in Lake Placid would have many benefits for residents and the environment:

• Light pollution may harm human health – studies suggest that artificial light at night negatively impacts human health by increasing risk of sleep disorders, depression, cancer and more.
• Light pollution is bad for wildlife – plants and animals depend on Earth’s daily light and dark cycle to govern life-sustaining behaviors. Research shows that artificial light at night has adverse and even deadly effects on many species.
• Light pollution wastes energy – as much as 50% of outdoor lighting is wasted.
• Light pollution robs us of our heritage – our ancestors experienced a night sky that inspired science, religion, philosophy, art and literature.

A view of the Milky Way in the northern Adirondacks. Photo by Jonathan Esper (source: Adirondack Explorer Sept 18 2020 “Adirondacks at night: A prime Eastern stargazing zone”)

The Dark Sky committee’s objective is to identify ways that Lake Placid can reduce the amount of light that unintentionally spills into places where it is not useful and becomes light pollution, whether this is into the sky to contribute to “sky glow” or into the windows of Town residents, causing health issues. Importantly, the committee believes that this can be achieved without detracting from the intended purpose of the lighting. This is especially important on the Lake – just as sound travels farther over water, light does as well – and reversing the current light pollution on Placid Lake is something we could achieve simply by following five core lighting principles:

1. Use light only if it is NEEDED
2. Direct light so that it falls only WHERE it is needed (use shielding to direct the beam)
3. Use the MINIMUM level of brightness (measured in lumens) required for the job
4. Use light only WHEN it is needed (use controls like timers and motion detectors)
5. Use WARM light colors (measured in Kelvin, optimal is <3000K)

The Dark Sky committee’s objective is to identify ways that Lake Placid can reduce the amount of light that unintentionally spills into places where it is not useful and becomes light pollution, whether this is into the sky to contribute to “sky glow” or into the windows of Town residents, causing health issues. Importantly, the committee believes that this can be achieved without detracting from the intended purpose of the lighting. This is especially important on the Lake – just as sound travels farther over water, light does as well – and reversing the current light pollution on Placid Lake is something we could achieve simply by following five core lighting principles:

1. Use light only if it is NEEDED
2. Direct light so that it falls only WHERE it is needed (use shielding to direct the beam)
3. Use the MINIMUM level of brightness (measured in lumens) required for the job
4. Use light only WHEN it is needed (use controls like timers and motion detectors)
5. Use WARM light colors (measured in Kelvin, optimal is <3000K)