glare and reflective pavement piet zijlstra/polyciviel 160325

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 info@polyciviel.nl 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.