Going Green? Here's How LED Environmental Light Can Help

Unless you’re hanging your outdoor holiday lights this weekend, maximizing your outside lighting isn’t what you have your mind right now, is it? Don’t worry, the holidays always come and go in a rush. Before you can put away that last strand of lights left blowing in the wind, you’ll look spring in the face, with summer right behind.

If taking better care of the environment is something you plan to include on your list of resolutions for 2020, this post is for you.

Read our tips on how environmental light impacts your world and how using LED lighting can help you accomplish your mission to go green

What Lights Do You Like Best?

We live in a world of artificial lighting.

We’re not talking about the form of artificial light our ancestors used—fire—we’re talking about the incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tube lights we use in our homes and workspace. The halogen light bulbs used in by our car’s headlights. And don’t forget the metal halide lights used to light up parking lots, stores, and sports arenas.

People who want to save money on their light bill, also use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They’re ugly, but they do shed a bright light and save energy.

Finally, people use LED (Light Emitting Diodes) for household and commercial lighting. Those metal halide lights we mentioned aren’t indispensable. LED lights are a better, and more eco-friendly option.

You likely have your favorite light bulbs and gravitate towards a certain type of light depending on whether you’re reading, working, or want to set a certain mood. Have you thought about how your choice of lighting impacts the environment?

Environmental Light Pollution and You

We not only live in a world filled with artificial lighting, but we’ve also developed an insatiable appetite for light.

There’s no doubt progress is a good thing and we do need illumination, but our world today is brighter than ever, and on a path to even more brightness.  

You may say, so what? No one wants to go backward and live by candlelight. Artificial lights impact our world in ways that might surprise you.

We’re no longer living with only air, water, and noise pollution. Now, environmentalists talk about light pollution. Light pollution affects people, animals, and seasonal patterns.

From the human perspective, if you’re dealing with unexplained headaches, anxiety, stress, and/or fatigue, consider how much artificial light you use every day. Now, look up at the sky because all the parking lots, stadiums, and brightly lit roadways lighten up the skies too. The ideal sleeping environment for the human body is darkness.

When the skies lighten artificially, humans may experience disruptions in sleep patterns. The result is poor sleep, which we need to help our bodies enjoy optimum health.

Animals and insects bear the brunt of the increase in artificial light too, especially if they’re nocturnal by nature. Migrating birds, plants that rely on cross-pollination, and certain crops are also impacted by the lightening of the skies.

And seasonal patterns? A few years ago, U.K. scientists discovered a link between light pollution and early spring. That may not bother most people, especially those who can’t wait for the end of winter, but scientists worry about how early spring affects plant and tree species. 

The LED Revolution

Most of us started unofficially going green years ago when the environmental movement of the 1970s urged everyone to do their part by practicing recycling. People recycled glass, cans, tires and other rubber goods.

Now, we recycle all of the above plus a multitude of other disposable goods.

Recycling helps people and businesses the amount of waste they produce. It also helps us reduce our carbon footprint. LED lighting can play a role in contributing to a healthier environment.

Part of going green includes using energy more efficiently. LED lights convert 95% of the energy they use into light. They also draw less power than fluorescent and incandescent lights.

Less energy equals fewer power plant emissions. For you, it also means a lower energy bill.

Going green also means you should focus on producing less waste going into landfills. Traditional light bulbs go straight to the trash can, right? LED bulbs go to the same place, but you’ll throw fewer of them away because they last longer.

One LED bulb burns about 50,000 hours. Your traditional lightbulbs burn for approximately 1,200 hours. 

You may not fully realize the environmental impact of that at home but consider a commercial or industrial location and how many lightbulbs they use. The impact of metal, glass, and other waste is significant for landfills.

Go Green Anywhere

The beauty of LED lighting, aside from aesthetics, is you can use them anywhere. You’re likely using them now and don’t realize it.

Look at your tv and your computer monitor—yes, that’s LED technology at work. You may even have miniature LED lights in your smartphone.

You can go green with LED strip lights both inside and outside your home. Install them on walls, floors, and ceilings. An excellent application for LED strip lights is to illuminate entryways and porch stairways at night.

Remember, spring and summer aren't far away, so why not make this year the one you brighten up your outdoor living spaces?

LED bistro lights draped from trees or around a pergola are another way you can bring green technology to your outdoor space.

Don’t forget the waterproof LEDs used around swimming pools, hot tubs, and gazebos. 

Ready to Go Green with LED Lighting?

If you decided to go green this year, congratulations! You're doing your part to make the world a more eco-friendly place to live by minimizing the impact of environmental light.

LED lighting plays a huge role in the green movement. By converting at least some of your lights to LED technology, you'll use less energy, create less waste, and generate less light pollution.

You're likely already planning your spring and summer garden. Let us help with your outdoor lighting. Contact us and we'll be happy to help you select the best LED options to lighten up your space.