Letters to the Editor 11-09-1999
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Lighting - Freedoms - Organ Donation - Free Enterprise - Smart Guns - Bronze Star - CR 450N
Lighting
Editor, Times-Union:The November 1 letter about outdoor lighting from Alan Mitterling is on target. Outdoor lighting practices are increasingly drawing scrutiny with good reason.
Our use of outdoor lighting grew quietly over the century's last half with little attention to the simple idea that lighting needs shading from glare outdoors just as it does indoors. The explosion in the use of high glare, high illumination outdoor lighting in the last decade represents the transformation of a product that provides convenience and safety into a counterproductive nuisance and hazard that wastes energy and causes environmental damage.
This trend has caused the Illuminating Engineering Society, the organization for lighting professionals, to issue new lighting practice recommendations RP33-99 which require shielding and moderation of the grossly excessive illumination levels often found. The IES recommendations embody principles such as is characterized in the following excerpt: "Too often people associate more light or brighter light with 'safer' surrounds. It can be easily demonstrated that too much light, or poorly directed light, causes a loss of visibility. For example, if a light is too bright it prevents a person from discerning important detail because of the 'high brightness contrast' or glare which causes a silhouette effect."
As Mr. Mitterling says, misdirected excessive lighting wastes energy and creates pollution. For each kilowatt hour of electricity produced about one pound of coal is burned which releases nearly two pounds of carbon dioxide and creates just under one-half pound of toxic coal ash. Calculations made of the electricity required annually for a single new central Indiana gas station's lighting indicated it will require about 44 tons of coal and create more than 175,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Those numbers are so high Amoco BP is developing station canopies with solar panels to reduce these requirements - a development that improves the environment, but not the lighting.
Successful marketing has led to outdoor lighting's overuse as a deterrent against crime. Images created in Hollywood, literature, the media and advertising inspire fear of the dark. But as Mr. Mitterling's letter correctly stated, independent studies indicate no correlation between lighting and crime. The FBI's Uniform Crime Report and the Justice Department's Characteristics of Crime Report both indicate that more property crime and violent crime happen during the day than at night.
A University of Maryland report submitted to Congress in 1995 concludes "In short, the effectiveness of lighting is unknown. Consider lighting at outside ATM machines, for example. An ATM user might feel safer when the ATM and its immediate surrounding area are well lit. However, this same lighting makes the patron more visible to passing offenders. Who the lighting serves is unclear."
Spotting an opportunity, committing a crime and making an escape requires light. Lawful people would be ashamed to be seen committing crime, criminals often would not. Regardless, security is never enhanced by light misdirected into your eyes or into the night sky or by advertising that encourages a dangerous false sense of security.
In an era of economic growth the adoption of good community lighting standards becomes even more important. Otherwise nuisance and hazard will interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of our property, our safety will be compromised, resources wasted, the environment needlessly degraded and the view of the starry heavens will be lost to us and our children.
The Indiana Council on Outdoor Lighting Education is dedicated to promoting good lighting practices and has resources beneficial to communities seeking to address this problem. Our web address is http://home.att.net/~icole.
Kevin Fleming, ICOLE Chairman, Indianapolis via e-mail
Freedoms
Editor, Times-Union:This is in response to the letter from Don Guard published Oct. 26 in the Opinions column.
I always enjoy reading the opinions in the newspaper. This column gives people an avenue to say what they want. It's called "free speech," guaranteed to us by our Constitution. We, as citizens of the United States, have the right to read it or not or to disagree with it or not. However, I am having a hard time believing that Don Guard, who I know and respect, is putting someone down for exercising that right. Don admonishes Harold Kitson and Albert Smith in his comments for standing up for another of our constitutional freedoms, the Second Amendment, and insinuates that Harold wants to go out and kill someone simply because he believes very strongly that our freedom to keep and bear arms is important. I personally care deeply about my constitutional freedoms and took an oath when I went in the service to protect and defend those freedoms from enemies both foreign and domestic.
Don, I believe you probably took that same oath. I guess some take it more seriously than others. Don, you spent many years involved in promoting Americanism in our schools for the American Legion trying to keep patriotism alive within our young people and to keep alive our ideals and the importance or our constitutional freedom. That is why I'm having a hard time believing you are so hard on Harold. I, too, feel that our freedom is important, just as important now as it was when this country fought for it in the Revolutionary War and every war fought since then. The preamble of the American Legion states that we will fight to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States. We should all learn to appreciate what that Constitution means and should hold it in high regard. It is the basis from which all our freedoms which we now enjoy are derived. Once the Second Amendment is destroyed, it won't be long before all of our freedoms are destroyed. So I have to say that I cannot find fault with someone who wishes to keep our freedoms intact and feels strongly enough to voice his feelings to others by exercising his First Amendment right of free speech by sending "Letters to the Editor." God knows those who would take our freedom away certainly beat it to death on the national news and TV talk shows. Those are the ones who claim to be for free speech. Of course, what they really mean is they are for free speech as long as it's only their speech that is free. So I've got to say keep 'em coming, Harold and Al and anyone else who cares about their freedom!
Phil Moore, Leesburg
Organ Donation
Editor, Times-Union:Chicago Bears Hall of Famer running back Walter Payton passed away from cancer at age 45 on Monday, Nov. 1. He had been told by his Mayo physician that his cancer had progressed too far for a transplant to be of help.
Whether you are a Chicago Bears fan or not, it is a fitting tribute to Payton to make plans to be an organ donor. Thousands of people are waiting for a transplant, but donors are few. Signing the back of your driver's license is commendable, but having a conversation with your family as to your wishes to donate when that critical time comes will make it more likely to happen.
Berniece H. Dwyer, Milford
Free Enterprise
Editor, Times-Union:Thank God Bill Gates is the CEO at Microsoft, because if I was, I would take an early retirement, send everybody home and close the doors. Then the BIG NOSE GOVERNMENT could feed everybody's family, at taxpayer's expense. Our forefathers gave us the right to free enterprise and like everything else, the government doesn't want anyone to have those rights, it appears. So keep up the good work Bill Gates, our forefathers would be very proud of you.
Michael L. Stevens, Pierceton, via e-mail
Smart Guns
Editor, Times-Union:I try to avoid scare tactics. Emotionalism is the favorite ploy of the anti-gunners but I'm going to make an exception in this case.
By now, I'm sure everyone has heard of the so-called "smart guns." This is a firearm with some sort of computer chip that prevents it being fired by anyone except the person it's registered to. Now there's a great idea! How many of you have had the computer board go out on your car? How many have had the board fail on your new furnace? Well, if your car won't start it's seldom life threatening. The same can be said of your furnace. If nothing else, you can normally just bail out of the cold house. But if, in an emergency, your firearm fails to fire, it could cost you and your entire family their lives. If it's just you and you are willing to take that risk, that's up to you but no one has the right to take that sort of chance with the lives of others.
Ever heard of any police organizations using that sort of weapon? How about the military? If none of them are willing to risk their lives or the lives of others to that sort of goof-ball technology then why should we?
I have no doubt that the firearms manufacturers will be forced into offering such weapons sometime in the near future but if I were you I'd save my money. Keep your weapon secure and you won't have to worry about accidents and I don't care what the bleeding hearts have to say. You are not responsible for what is done with stolen property.
Harold Kitson, Warsaw
Bronze Star
Editor, Times-Union:The recent front page article regarding Albert Smith asking President Clinton for a Silver Star made me want to throw up. I wonder how many other soldiers "captured" the same abandoned tank and got awards for it. I also wonder how many others got awards for "capturing" surrendering enemies. After eight-plus years of active service, which included two tours in Vietnam, I personally know dozens of men that did a hell of a lot more. These men certainly did not receive awards. This article should really give other veterans something to celebrate come Nov. 11. Barf ... barf ... and barf!
Dennis G. Lundgren, Warsaw
CR 450N
Editor, Times-Union:Gee, two people killed and four injured in less than a week on CR 450N! Now I wonder what might be done to somehow encourage drivers to, perhaps, regard a stop sign or to control the urge to exceed speeds of, say, 70 mph?!
Bryan Ciula, Warsaw
[[In-content Ad]]
Latest News
E-Editions
- Lighting - Freedoms - Organ Donation - Free Enterprise - Smart Guns - Bronze Star - CR 450N
Lighting
Editor, Times-Union:The November 1 letter about outdoor lighting from Alan Mitterling is on target. Outdoor lighting practices are increasingly drawing scrutiny with good reason.
Our use of outdoor lighting grew quietly over the century's last half with little attention to the simple idea that lighting needs shading from glare outdoors just as it does indoors. The explosion in the use of high glare, high illumination outdoor lighting in the last decade represents the transformation of a product that provides convenience and safety into a counterproductive nuisance and hazard that wastes energy and causes environmental damage.
This trend has caused the Illuminating Engineering Society, the organization for lighting professionals, to issue new lighting practice recommendations RP33-99 which require shielding and moderation of the grossly excessive illumination levels often found. The IES recommendations embody principles such as is characterized in the following excerpt: "Too often people associate more light or brighter light with 'safer' surrounds. It can be easily demonstrated that too much light, or poorly directed light, causes a loss of visibility. For example, if a light is too bright it prevents a person from discerning important detail because of the 'high brightness contrast' or glare which causes a silhouette effect."
As Mr. Mitterling says, misdirected excessive lighting wastes energy and creates pollution. For each kilowatt hour of electricity produced about one pound of coal is burned which releases nearly two pounds of carbon dioxide and creates just under one-half pound of toxic coal ash. Calculations made of the electricity required annually for a single new central Indiana gas station's lighting indicated it will require about 44 tons of coal and create more than 175,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Those numbers are so high Amoco BP is developing station canopies with solar panels to reduce these requirements - a development that improves the environment, but not the lighting.
Successful marketing has led to outdoor lighting's overuse as a deterrent against crime. Images created in Hollywood, literature, the media and advertising inspire fear of the dark. But as Mr. Mitterling's letter correctly stated, independent studies indicate no correlation between lighting and crime. The FBI's Uniform Crime Report and the Justice Department's Characteristics of Crime Report both indicate that more property crime and violent crime happen during the day than at night.
A University of Maryland report submitted to Congress in 1995 concludes "In short, the effectiveness of lighting is unknown. Consider lighting at outside ATM machines, for example. An ATM user might feel safer when the ATM and its immediate surrounding area are well lit. However, this same lighting makes the patron more visible to passing offenders. Who the lighting serves is unclear."
Spotting an opportunity, committing a crime and making an escape requires light. Lawful people would be ashamed to be seen committing crime, criminals often would not. Regardless, security is never enhanced by light misdirected into your eyes or into the night sky or by advertising that encourages a dangerous false sense of security.
In an era of economic growth the adoption of good community lighting standards becomes even more important. Otherwise nuisance and hazard will interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of our property, our safety will be compromised, resources wasted, the environment needlessly degraded and the view of the starry heavens will be lost to us and our children.
The Indiana Council on Outdoor Lighting Education is dedicated to promoting good lighting practices and has resources beneficial to communities seeking to address this problem. Our web address is http://home.att.net/~icole.
Kevin Fleming, ICOLE Chairman, Indianapolis via e-mail
Freedoms
Editor, Times-Union:This is in response to the letter from Don Guard published Oct. 26 in the Opinions column.
I always enjoy reading the opinions in the newspaper. This column gives people an avenue to say what they want. It's called "free speech," guaranteed to us by our Constitution. We, as citizens of the United States, have the right to read it or not or to disagree with it or not. However, I am having a hard time believing that Don Guard, who I know and respect, is putting someone down for exercising that right. Don admonishes Harold Kitson and Albert Smith in his comments for standing up for another of our constitutional freedoms, the Second Amendment, and insinuates that Harold wants to go out and kill someone simply because he believes very strongly that our freedom to keep and bear arms is important. I personally care deeply about my constitutional freedoms and took an oath when I went in the service to protect and defend those freedoms from enemies both foreign and domestic.
Don, I believe you probably took that same oath. I guess some take it more seriously than others. Don, you spent many years involved in promoting Americanism in our schools for the American Legion trying to keep patriotism alive within our young people and to keep alive our ideals and the importance or our constitutional freedom. That is why I'm having a hard time believing you are so hard on Harold. I, too, feel that our freedom is important, just as important now as it was when this country fought for it in the Revolutionary War and every war fought since then. The preamble of the American Legion states that we will fight to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States. We should all learn to appreciate what that Constitution means and should hold it in high regard. It is the basis from which all our freedoms which we now enjoy are derived. Once the Second Amendment is destroyed, it won't be long before all of our freedoms are destroyed. So I have to say that I cannot find fault with someone who wishes to keep our freedoms intact and feels strongly enough to voice his feelings to others by exercising his First Amendment right of free speech by sending "Letters to the Editor." God knows those who would take our freedom away certainly beat it to death on the national news and TV talk shows. Those are the ones who claim to be for free speech. Of course, what they really mean is they are for free speech as long as it's only their speech that is free. So I've got to say keep 'em coming, Harold and Al and anyone else who cares about their freedom!
Phil Moore, Leesburg
Organ Donation
Editor, Times-Union:Chicago Bears Hall of Famer running back Walter Payton passed away from cancer at age 45 on Monday, Nov. 1. He had been told by his Mayo physician that his cancer had progressed too far for a transplant to be of help.
Whether you are a Chicago Bears fan or not, it is a fitting tribute to Payton to make plans to be an organ donor. Thousands of people are waiting for a transplant, but donors are few. Signing the back of your driver's license is commendable, but having a conversation with your family as to your wishes to donate when that critical time comes will make it more likely to happen.
Berniece H. Dwyer, Milford
Free Enterprise
Editor, Times-Union:Thank God Bill Gates is the CEO at Microsoft, because if I was, I would take an early retirement, send everybody home and close the doors. Then the BIG NOSE GOVERNMENT could feed everybody's family, at taxpayer's expense. Our forefathers gave us the right to free enterprise and like everything else, the government doesn't want anyone to have those rights, it appears. So keep up the good work Bill Gates, our forefathers would be very proud of you.
Michael L. Stevens, Pierceton, via e-mail
Smart Guns
Editor, Times-Union:I try to avoid scare tactics. Emotionalism is the favorite ploy of the anti-gunners but I'm going to make an exception in this case.
By now, I'm sure everyone has heard of the so-called "smart guns." This is a firearm with some sort of computer chip that prevents it being fired by anyone except the person it's registered to. Now there's a great idea! How many of you have had the computer board go out on your car? How many have had the board fail on your new furnace? Well, if your car won't start it's seldom life threatening. The same can be said of your furnace. If nothing else, you can normally just bail out of the cold house. But if, in an emergency, your firearm fails to fire, it could cost you and your entire family their lives. If it's just you and you are willing to take that risk, that's up to you but no one has the right to take that sort of chance with the lives of others.
Ever heard of any police organizations using that sort of weapon? How about the military? If none of them are willing to risk their lives or the lives of others to that sort of goof-ball technology then why should we?
I have no doubt that the firearms manufacturers will be forced into offering such weapons sometime in the near future but if I were you I'd save my money. Keep your weapon secure and you won't have to worry about accidents and I don't care what the bleeding hearts have to say. You are not responsible for what is done with stolen property.
Harold Kitson, Warsaw
Bronze Star
Editor, Times-Union:The recent front page article regarding Albert Smith asking President Clinton for a Silver Star made me want to throw up. I wonder how many other soldiers "captured" the same abandoned tank and got awards for it. I also wonder how many others got awards for "capturing" surrendering enemies. After eight-plus years of active service, which included two tours in Vietnam, I personally know dozens of men that did a hell of a lot more. These men certainly did not receive awards. This article should really give other veterans something to celebrate come Nov. 11. Barf ... barf ... and barf!
Dennis G. Lundgren, Warsaw
CR 450N
Editor, Times-Union:Gee, two people killed and four injured in less than a week on CR 450N! Now I wonder what might be done to somehow encourage drivers to, perhaps, regard a stop sign or to control the urge to exceed speeds of, say, 70 mph?!
Bryan Ciula, Warsaw
[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092