[SAS] Re: Avista LED 'upgrade' is a downgrade for night skies.

  • From: jenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • To: sas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2015 13:22:12 -0600

I agree, a multi-pronged approach is best. My forte is on the PR side, it's what I do for a living. The truth is, Avista has no reason to entertain outside ideas unles they see it as a benefit to them. Most definitely a forum should be requested and set up by those that have the people skills in this area, but swaying public opinion (which it is obvious from the S-R article that we aren't alone in our distaste of these lights) may help Avista become more receptive to hearing outside ideas. This change didn't come easily for the company. I'm sure they had a team of engineers, financial pros, and PR people researching this for months, if not years, so they are fairly confident in their decision.

I can guarantee this swap was supposed to garner major public support for their green initiatives and money-saving prowess (especially since launching it comes on the heels of the Idaho rate hike and the 8/29 rate increase request in WA). The PR guys at Avista are probably already planning out what to do next, since the first major press on it begins with a negative.



On 2015-10-26 12:34, Coylene and Dale Isley wrote:

I agree, ignorance is battled through education. However, instead of
fighting the battle thorugh public opinion in the newspapers and
trying to get public involvement through outreaches and pamphlets,
would it be possible to have a meeting, maybe several of them, with
the key players and planners at Avista?

I'm thinking that taking the path of treating them as intelligent
players who are trying to do the right thing (more efficient lighting)
and showing them that "more efficient" has both good and bad options.
There are several studies that could be prepared in a presentation
format (and perhaps leave them all with folders of the data). I would
think that if they could understand the spectrum(s) that are harmful I
would imagine they would be willing to slightly alter their current
course of action as long as it wasn't drastically changing the
financial cost.

I know there are lower "warm" spectrum LED's that wouldn't cause as
great of a concern and the brightness can be handled with slightly
lower wattage, which would both save more energy and cost less.

The only concern I have is that I am familiar with residential
offerings, but the city power to the street lamps is a common
commercial voltage of 277/480V 3P. I have no idea what would be
available as a direct replacement for what they are using, but I would
also suppose that if they are willing to purchase that many, they
could get just about anything they want. Especially if they are going
to have Spokane through Avista be the shining prototype of what city
lighting should be.

Thoughts?
--
Dale Isley

Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2015 11:43:18 -0600
From: jenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: sas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [SAS] Re: Avista LED 'upgrade' is a downgrade for night
skies.

In my mind, Avista isn't the enemy here, but ignorance is. The only
way
to fight ignorance is through education. That is where you shine,
Debbie. If all you have is the moon (or Jupiter tamed to a gym wall
:)
), then it is the moon you show and get them excited about.

I have already cleared my work schedule for tomorrow so I can
dedicate
my keyboard to the cause as best as I am able. I'm also planning to
have
a scope out at least twice a week, even if all we are looking at is
the
moon through high clouds. My personal plan, especially right now
while
the moon is highly visible, is to target areas with high foot
traffic.

I think I will also work with Nick to get a sidewalk astronomy page
added to the website, where members can somehow log where they are
doing
public viewings so the public can easily find an eyepiece near them.

We can do this!



On 2015-10-26 11:30, cave8@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> I am not very good at expressing my feelings for this. I do know
as an
> Outreach Coordinator there will be a problem
> when it comes to observing at Science Fairs, where we can see the
> planets and constellations double stars and star clusters and even
> Andromeda Galaxy on clear nights from a school playground. But if
they
> put that bright of LED lights in a neighbor hood that the school
is in
> the most they will see is the Moon at best. There is a right way
to do
> it and Avista is not picking the right path.
>
> This will also pose a problem for our Telescope in the Library
> Program.
>
> Debbe Cotten
>
> Outreach, Event Coordinator &
> Secretary of
> The Spokane Astronomical Society
> cave8@xxxxxxxxxxx
> 509-991-2518
>
> -------------------------
>
> FROM: "jenny" <jenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> TO: sas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> SENT: Monday, October 26, 2015 10:10:14 AM
> SUBJECT: [SAS] Re: Avista LED 'upgrade' is a downgrade for night
> skies.
>
> Tomorrow. I meant if someone else wants to draft a press release,
or
> can
> do it more quickly than I, to please do so. Apologies for being
> unclear.
>
> On 2015-10-26 11:06, Cindy Fenick wrote:
>> Hi Jenny; are you talking about NEXT Tuesday or tomorrow? What do
>> you need someone to "step in" for?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: sas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:sas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On
>> Behalf Of jenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Sent: Monday, 26 October, 2015 10:00 AM
>> To: sas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [SAS] Re: Avista LED 'upgrade' is a downgrade for night
> skies.
>> Importance: High
>>
>> Good call, Cindy! If no one is opposed, I can draft a press
release
> to
>> send to the Spokesman and the Inlander. I can also put out
> information
>> via the Nextdoor neighborhood network. I won't be able to
schedule
>> time in for either until Tuesday, so anyone else with the ability
is
>> welcome to step in and do it instead!
>>
>> It's getting chilly and winter gloom is creeping in, but I really
>> think this is a time for amateur astronomers to become visible,
i.e.
> a
>> series of sidewalk events. The quickest way to get the public on
> your
>> side is to show the benefit to them. Even better if we have a
small
>> flier on the issue to hand out at these events. The key is
> education,
>> and this is one of the best ways I can think of to do this.
>>
>> -Jenny
>>
>> On 2015-10-26 10:49, Cindy Fenick wrote:
>>> Hi John; I just sent an email to David Ingram, Director of NW
> Chapter
>>> of Dark Skies Association, to find out about the status of the
> model
>>> ordinance written by DSA for Washington that supposed to reduce
> light
>>> glare and what he recommends as a course of action to stop this
> Avista
>>> nightglare (read, nightmare!) As a club, what do suggest we do?
Are
>>> there other astronomy associations, such as the SFCC Planetarium
>>> faculty, or Mobius, or any group with clout that can help alter
> this
>>> course of destruction? I’ll do what I can to help the cause!!
>>>
>>> Cindy Fenick
>>>
>>> FROM: sas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:sas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
ON
>>> BEHALF OF John Riegel
>>> SENT: Sunday, 25 October, 2015 11:57 PM
>>> TO: sas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> SUBJECT: [SAS] Re: Avista LED 'upgrade' is a downgrade for night
>>> skies.
>>>
>>> ACTION REQUESTED - PLEASE DO THIS
>>>
>>> There has been a buzz in the local press, and the people who
want
> to
>>> light up the night have been far more vocal than those on this
list
>>> which SUCKS. Last week I talked to a KPBX reporter and two
people
> at
>>> Avista. According to Avista, the public voice is all for MORE
> BRIGHT
>>> LIGHTS. Yet everyone has heard of this topic see Doug Clark's
post
> in
>>> the Sunday paper
>>>
>
(http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/oct/25/doug-clark-the-livin-is-
>>> easy-under-avistas-new-str/
>>> [1]).
>>>
>>> But this isn't a joke, it is serious with long-term impact.
Where
> the
>>> new lights could be worse, they still are not the smart upgrade
our
>>> community deserves. We have an opportunity for positive change.
>>>
>>> Please contact Avista and your local government wherever you may
> live
>>> and . First read up on the topic for 15 to 30 minutes, Nick's
links
>>> are all you need to know. My summary is:
>>>
>>> * Avista must do better, install lower power, narrow-band lights
to
>>> save money, with no impact on crime, improve health, and protect
> the
>>> night.
>>> * Our municipalities can improve quality of life with zoning
which
>>> recognizes light as potential pollution which must be managed.
>>>
>>> Light pollution is a public topic in the spot light. Please act
on
>>> this opportunity to push for zoning to protect the night; don't
let
>>> the simple costs and false crime fear win this. If we don't
raise
> our
>>> voices Avista will continue to slap up thousands of bright, full
>>> spectrum LEDs.
>>>
>>> Want to organize or plan, collaborate or complain? Please call
me.
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>> 509-869-3735
>>>
>>> On Sun, Oct 25, 2015 at 11:17 PM, Nick Monkman
<nmonkman@xxxxxxxxx>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> (also on the website)
>>>
>>> If you hadn't heard yet, our local utility company, Avista, is
in
> the
>>> process of installing hundreds of blue-white LED streetlights in
> the
>>> Spokane area. These lights are, for the most part, far brighter
> than
>>> they need to be. To make matters worse, the lights are on the
blue
>>> side of the spectrum which is terrible for dark-adaptation. What
> can
>>> we do?
>>>
>>> * Research! Here's a couple of recent articles and news stories
> about
>>> the issue:
>>>
>>> ·
>>>
>
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/oct/25/doug-clark-the-livin-is-e
>>> asy-under-avistas-new-str/
>>> [1]
>>>
>>> ·
>>>
>
http://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-news/new-led-street-lights-get-mixed-
>>> reviews/35976920
>>> [2]
>>>
>>> ·
>>>
>
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/oct/20/new-led-streetlights-are-
>>> green-but-have-some-spoka/
>>> [3]
>>>
>>> * Let the your city council rep know what you think.
>>>
>>> · https://my.spokanecity.org/citycouncil/members/ [4]
>>>
>>> · Phone:509.625.6255 [5]
>>>
>>> * Let Avista know what you think
>>>
>>> ·
>>>
>
https://www.avistautilities.com/contact/_layouts/avista/contactus.aspx
>>> [6]
>>>
>>> If enough of us voice our opinion (respectfully!) there's no
doubt
> in
>>> my mind we can make a difference here.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Links:
>>> ------
>>> [1]
>>>
>
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/oct/25/doug-clark-the-livin-is-e
>>> asy-under-avistas-new-str/
>>> [2]
>>>
>
http://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-news/new-led-street-lights-get-mixed-
>>> reviews/35976920
>>> [3]
>>>
>
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/oct/20/new-led-streetlights-are-
>>> green-but-have-some-spoka/ [4]
>>> https://my.spokanecity.org/citycouncil/members/
>>> [5] tel:509.625.6255
>>> [6]
>>>
>
https://www.avistautilities.com/contact/_layouts/avista/contactus.aspx


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