Energy

Have you ever visited a major city where you’ve looked up and seen a murky sky without stars? What you’re seeing is light pollution, a serious problem in populated places, although experts claim that increased light pollution may impact even remote areas if initiatives to reduce it are not taken seriously.

Light pollution occurs when an excess of light is reflected into the atmosphere causing the sky to illuminate, potentially to the point that stars are invisible. It sadly has many consequences for ecosystems, climate, and human health. First, unnecessary light translates to wasted energy, and the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere will increase from creating this wasted energy. A study by the International Dark-Sky Association states, “The average house with poorly designed outdoor lighting wastes 0.5 kilowatt hours (kWh) per night… enough energy to power a 50-inch plasma TV for one hour or run one load in your dishwasher!”

Additionally, light pollution disrupts the Earth’s consistent shift from day to night, which all organisms rely on – nocturnal behavior is especially disrupted. Excessive light also causes extreme living conditions for plants to photosynthesize, threatening the foundation of entire ecosystems. Will organisms evolve like they always have? Or, has human impact potentially reached a point where our ecological changes are exceeding the rate of natural processes to adapt and evolve.

Finally, too much artificial light is unnatural for humans and can disrupt sleep and our health. While we can’t reverse what’s already been done, it is an easy fix to minimize human impact on light pollution moving forward. So, what’s the solution?

1.       Ensure that lighting products are “Dark Sky Approved.”
2.       Turn off lights when they’re not needed.
3.       Contain and shield outside lights to shine downwards in concentration.
4.       Use solid-state lighting, such as LED lights.
5.       Use dimmers, timers, and motion sensors for outdoor lights. 

Park City is taking the initiative to protect our dark skies. On January 1, 2021, Park City’s City Council adopted the No. 2021-05 Ordinance, requiring all existing outdoor lighting bulbs to be 3,000 degrees Kelvin by December 31, 2024, and new construction to produce less than 100,000 lumens (light) per acre. Additionally, the amendment states, “Low-lumen seasonal lights that do not cause light trespass or interfere with the reasonable use and enjoyment of property are permitted from November 1 – March 1.”

So let there be light! Just make sure that it’s sustainable and efficient for your sake, wildlife, healthy ecosystems, and our skies.

By Grason Rae, Sophomore at Park City High School

Many of our everyday activities have environmental consequences: how we dispose of waste, what we eat, how we move around. Most of us are familiar with the impacts that these activities have on our planet. Each one uses energy, produces emissions, and therefore contributes to a carbon footprint. But what about the activities that aren’t so straightforward? Have you ever wondered how streaming—something billions of people do every day—impacts the environment?

Streaming relies on a vast infrastructure of data centers, networks, and devices like computers, phones, and TVs. All these elements contribute to the carbon footprint of streaming, accounting for a significant portion of global carbon emissions. The demand for high-definition streaming continues to rise, leading to the expansion of this infrastructure.

When considering the environmental impact of streaming, it’s essential to consider the production of the devices used for streaming. The manufacturing of these devices is energy-intensive and often reliant on fossil fuels, further contributing to carbon emissions. 

Video streaming has a carbon footprint comparable to activities like boiling a kettle or microwaving popcorn. While individual streaming habits do matter, the continuous operation of data centers and networks independent of the number of users streaming is a significant part of the problem. Switching to renewable energy will significantly decrease the emissions of these data centers, and therefore the emissions of streaming in general. Many of the big players in the streaming industry have committed to sourcing their energy from renewable sources, which will be a major step in making media consumption more sustainable in the future.

Although much of the impact of streaming is out of the consumer’s hands, there are several things we can do to reduce the environmental impact of streaming. When possible, stream from a less energy-intensive device. Watching on your laptop or phone uses a fraction of the energy required to stream on a TV. Download files when you can. And most importantly, use your devices for as long as you can. Dispose of old devices correctly. You can drop off old TVs, computers, and smartphones at Recycle Utah!

Streaming is a popular and convenient way to consume media, but it’s not without environmental consequences. By being mindful of our streaming habits and supporting sustainable initiatives in the industry, we can work towards a more environmentally friendly streaming future. 

By Chelsea Hafer