Lights Out!

A while back I got an email from my neighborhood association that had the bright idea to get rid of our street lights. The thinking behind this brainstorm was twofold, one being to combat global warming and the other being to save money.

I replied with what I thought was a pretty witty piece about taking us back into the Dark Ages. While I would support preserving the night sky for stargazing, I could not see any evidence for significant cost or carbon savings, certainly not enough to offset the disadvantages of dark streets. The idea seems to have died, as the neighborhood is still lit at night.

But I must have been wrong, as now the whole world is turning out the lights. I can't wait for someone to estimate the additional crime and accidents that will occur during that hour.