I'm guessing the article is mostly related to the USA? As an Aussie, I thought the articles was hyperbole, but I then remembered this image [1], which showed how bright the world is at night.
Is the problem that serious in the USA? Out of curiosity, can someone give me an example? Thanks.
>"Out of curiosity, can someone give me an example?"
I've lived my entire life in areas that show as white on this light pollution map [1]. I've certainly never seen the Milky Way.
In the city, you'd be lucky to make out any stars at all. Jupiter is visible when it's high in the sky, but that's about it.
In the suburbs which are genreally red on the map you can make out the main sequence stars of bright constellations, but something like Andromeda (M31) needs the help of binoculars or a telescope.
"The 1994 Los Angelos-Northridge Earthquake -- The above statement is not at all overly dramatic. It is a growing trend. The National Institute of Health's issue of the January 2009 Environmental Health Perspectives Journal included a story from the 1994 Northridge earthquake which had knocked out the power in Los Angeles. Apparently local emergency centers then had received numerous calls from anxious residents reporting a strange, giant, silvery cloud in the dark sky. What they were really seeing - for their very first time - was the Milky Way, so obliterated by the urban sky glow that it had become forgotten and had practically become an urban legend." [1]
Having lived on the east coast (in cities) my whole life until recently, seeing the stars was a notably rare occasion. Even just one or two was asking too much on most nights, the sky just sort of glows an off-orange color near the horizon, becoming more visible as you are nearer to light sources.
I for one would love to see far far less light pollution, but I don't think that will happen until technology enables us to make doing * in the dark as safe/easy as doing it in the light.
There's a bunch of light going into the sky for no reason at all - pure waste. Better reflectors and lighting design would cut that down dramatically.
Then there's a bunch of light going into the sky for sub-optimal reasons. Lighting up the exterior of buildings at night time is something that should be more expensive. See, for one example, the San Diego temple which is a bright white building with an insane amount of exterior night time lighting for very little reason. (You have to see it in person - it's a particarly egrarious waste of energy) http://sealofmelchizedek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/San-...
I agree with both of your points. That being said, there's also the matter of the less low-hanging-fruit, street lighting for instance. I know in densely trafficked areas the street lighting is sufficient to completely obfuscate the sky, up to a few tens of miles away. Perhaps we can improve how we do said lighting but I see a lot of resistance in scaling it down until as I said, our capabilities are improved.
Is the problem that serious in the USA? Out of curiosity, can someone give me an example? Thanks.
[1] http://www.lightpollution.it/download/mondo_ridotto0p25.gif