EDITOR:
The day of the earth has been celebrated since 1970 and for its 55th anniversary of 2025. There are many ways to observe this holiday, including collecting garbage on the beach or in a park, planting a tree or a shrub or a hike in the forest. This is the time of migration. The birds come back from their winter quarters in the south. Many of them fly hundreds of miles at night. Instead of finding the bright lights of small cities like Escanaba, they can be confused and exhausted by the lights and even injured. Their sensitive eyes follow the stars and the moon. With a finger, the switch and switching off unnecessary decorative outer lights, you can watch the vacation. With a moment you can draw the blinds or close the curtains and keep inner lights inside and do not lure the migrants to plunge into their windows. Regardless of whether you die right there or shortly afterwards, the result is the same, one bird less to sing his spring song. Your home and workplace can – but do not have to be a light source. Many more than 300 million birds collide with buildings in the USA every year, many of them between April 1 and June 15th or during autumn migration between August 15 and November 30th. You can take part in LightSout, an international movement.
Who controls the lights in the commercial building where you work? Can the lights be switched off when they go home? How about a timer? Movement detectors on outer lights can shorten the time of time of the necessary lights. Usually no parking lights are needed when the shops are closed and between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. when the lights of the parking lot are switched on. According to birdcast.info (the reference for this article), the largest operating costs for commercial buildings are energy, so Lightoout saves you money. For each 1000 kWh that you save by switching off the lights, save $ 100 for your supply bill (provided that electricity costs 10 cents per kWh). From April 22nd, it will be an easy way for your company to save money, and the beauty of the dark sky is not only valued by the birds, but also by them.
Valerie Heemstra, do you
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