Opalleoffertes,werkzaamhedenvanenovereenkomstenmetPolyCivielzijndeRVOI2001voorwaardenvantoepassing,gedeponeerdtergriffievandeArrondissementsrechtbankteDenHaagop2juli2001ondernummer84,welkevoorwaardenuopeersteverzoekkostelooswordentoegezonden.
25 MAART 2016
The Natural Night Sky Inspires Untilrecently,forallofhumanhistory,ourancestorsexperiencedaskybrimmingwithstars–anightskythatinspiredscience,religion,philosophy,artandliterature,includingsomeofShakespeare’smostfamoussonnets.Thenaturalnightskyisourcommonanduniversalheritage,yetisrapidlybecomingunknowntothenewestgenerations.“FormypartIknownothingwithanycertainty,butthesightofthestarsmakesmedream.”—VincentvanGoghVanGoghpaintedhisfamous“StarryNight”inSaintRemy,France,in1889.Now,theMilkyWaycannolongerbeseenfromthere.Ifhewerealivetoday,wouldhestillbeinspiredtopaint“StarryNight”?
Experiencingthenightskyprovidesperspective,inspiration,andleadsustoreflectonourhumanityandplaceintheuniverse.Thehistoryofscientificdiscoveryandevenhumancuriosityitselfisindebtedtothenaturalnightsky.
PolyCiviel Kalkoven 3 9351 NP Leek M. (+31) 6 467 15 859 [email protected] www.polyciviel.nl
Pagina2
AlllifehasreliedonEarth’spredictablerhythmofdayandnight.It’sencodedintheDNAofallplantsandanimals.Humanshaveradicallydisruptedthiscyclebylightingupthenight.PlantsandanimalsdependonEarth’sdailycycleoflightanddarkrhythmtogovernlife-sustainingbehaviorssuchasreproduction,nourishment,sleepandprotectionfrompredators.Scientificevidencesuggeststhatartificiallightatnighthasnegativeanddeadlyeffectsonmanycreaturesincludingamphibians,birds,mammals,insectsandplants.ArtificialLightsDisrupttheWorld’sEcosystemsNocturnalanimalssleepduringthedayandareactiveatnight.Lightpollutionradicallyalterstheirnighttimeenvironmentbyturningnightintoday.AccordingtoresearchscientistChristopherKyba,fornocturnalanimals,“theintroductionofartificiallightprobablyrepresentsthemostdrasticchangehumanbeingshavemadetotheirenvironment.“Predatorsuselighttohunt,andpreyspeciesusedarknessascover,”Kybaexplains“Nearcities,cloudyskiesarenowhundreds,oreventhousandsoftimesbrighterthantheywere200yearsago.Weareonlybeginningtolearnwhatadrasticeffectthishashadonnocturnalecology.”
Glarefromartificiallightscanalsoimpactwetlandhabitatsthatarehometoamphibianssuchasfrogsandtoads,whosenighttimecroakingispartofthebreedingritual.Artificiallightsdisruptthisnocturnalactivity,interferingwithreproductionandreducingpopulations.ArtificialLightsCanLeadBabySeaturtlestotheirDemiseSeaturtlesliveintheoceanbuthatchatnightonthebeach.Hatchlingsfindtheseabydetectingthebrighthorizonovertheocean.Artificiallightsdrawthemawayfromtheocean.InFloridaalone,millionsofhatchlingsdiethiswayeveryyear.ArtificialLightshaveDevastatingEffectsonManyBirdSpecies
Pagina3
Birdsthatmigrateorhuntatnightnavigatebymoonlightandstarlight.Artificiallightcancausethemtowanderoffcourseandtowardthedangerousnighttimelandscapesofcities.Everyyearmillionsofbirdsdiecollidingwithneedlesslyilluminatedbuildingsandtowers.Migratorybirdsdependoncuesfromproperlytimedseasonalschedules.Artificiallightscancausethemtomigratetooearlyortoolateandmissidealclimateconditionsfornesting,foragingandotherbehaviors.Ecosystems:EverythingisConnectedManyinsectsaredrawntolight,butartificiallightscancreateafatalattraction.Declininginsectpopulationsnegativelyimpactallspeciesthatrelyoninsectsforfoodorpollination.Somepredatorsexploitthisattractiontotheiradvantage,affectingfoodwebsinunanticipatedways.Thisiswhyreflectivepavementscanhelpin(darksky)parks.
Evenwhenthereisonlymoonlightpeoplecanfindtheirwaybecauseofthereflectivepavements.Unfortunately,municipalitiesenticedbysubstantialcostsavingscontinuetorushintoLEDconversionswithoutdoingtheirhomework.Often,thisleadscitiestoacceptvariousmythsregardingLEDstreetlighting,includingclaimsthatLEDsreducelightpollutionwhileincreasingsafetyanddecreasingcrime.Understandably,policymakersareunderever-increasingpressuretosaveenergy,reducecostsandlowertaxes,allwhilecontinuingtomaketheircitiessaferandmoreattractive.AlthoughjoiningtheLEDstreetlightrevolutionseemslikeagreatsolution,thisseeminglygoodshort-termansweroftencomeswithmisinformation,creatingpotentiallongtermnegativeeffectsontheenvironmentandhumanhealth.
Pagina4
InEuropethereforewestartedusingreflectivepavementssuchasreflectiveconcreteandreflectveasphalt.Reflectivepavementsprovidebetternighttimeillumination.Reflectivepavementscanenhancevisibilityatnight,potentiallyreducinglightingrequirementsandsavingmoneyandenergy.
IntheNetherlandsroaddesignersmoreoftentakepavementcolorintoaccountwhenplanninglighting.Itsupcomingandmanycommunitiesreducelightpollutionandglarebylessorevennolighting.Escpeciallyintheparksandoutsidethebuilt-upareareflectivepavementcandowellbecausethereisnolightandthetoplayeroftheasphaltofconcreteisonlyreflectingwhentherearebycyclistsorcars.
Pagina5
Reflectivepavementsmayprovideadditionalbenefits,suchas:comfortimprovements.Usingreflectiveorpermeablepavementswherepeoplecongregateorchildrenplaycanprovidelocalizedcomfortbenefitsthroughlowersurfaceandnear-surfaceairtemperatures.
Permeableroadwaypavementscanenhancesafetybecausebetterwaterdrainagereduceswatersprayfrommovingvehicles,increasestraction,andmayimprovevisibilitybydrainingwaterthatincreasesglare.Reducingpavementsurfacetemperaturescanreducetheriskofprematurefailureofasphaltpavementsbyrutting(depressionsinthewheelpaths)wherethecombinationofslowheavytrucksorbusesandhottemperaturesmakethisaconcern.Bronnen:InternationalDarkSkyAssociation,Dr.JohnBarentine,PolyCiviel-PietZijlstra.
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