Ben Blackmore13/4/04 8:49
m

"Sacha" wrote in message
o.uk...

Look, I'm really sorry to rain on anyone's parade but perhaps you might
ask
yourselves if you really *want* garden lighting?

Yes!

Why? What will you do with
it?

Have trendy garden parties at night with all our friends!

You must live in a much warmer climate than most of us.

Will you actually sit at the window and turn off the telly and look out
at our night-illuminated garden?

Maybe if it looks nice

But unlikely to be a nightly habit, is it?

This country has (IIRC) the highest light pollution in the world
proportionately speaking. I can understand garden lighting when you're
using a deck or terrace for a party but to light plants at night? WHY?
Can't you look at them in the day time?
If you live in the boondocks and need to light the path to the house -
maybe
install something that comes on as you approach it and goes off rapidly as
you enter the house.
So - FWIW, you may want to consider less light pollution and more sitting
outside in the soft darkness of a summer's night looking at the *stars*
which will not have been blanked out by a something-or-other lighting your
Skimmia or bamboo and all those of all your neighbours. Just a teensy
thought....

Doesn't really matter to me, we live in a town, we have street lights
already, I don't think 5 or 6 low voltage lights are going to harm anyone!

All that light pollution had to start somewhere.....

A newcomer to this village tried to get street lighting installed once -
not
a shrewd move. I think he moved quite soon after that. ;-)

Good on him for trying. Last area I lived in had street lights installed and
burglary, assult and car theft fell by over 75%! To many people are stuck in
the *dark ages* on things like this, only seeing the negatives, and not the
benefits! Would you rather see the stars, or be safe walking at nights!
Sure, it would be great to be able to do both, but thats not the world we
live in is it!

We're perfectly safe walking at night here, that's the point that made his
request so ridiculous. This is a small Devonshire hamlet/village, not a
suburban housing area. There is and was no need for permanent lighting. If
we walk out at night we take torches and if we go further afield we go by
car. If a car goes past our house after midnight it makes us wonder who's
up that late!

snip

--

Sacha
(remove the weeds to email me)