Efforts to protect Hawaiʻi's night skies are gaining momentum at the state Legislature through a new bill that would regulate artificial lighting.
HB1579 would establish outdoor light fixture requirements based on the Kelvin scale and the direction of the light, and it suggests that the fixtures operate on a timer or motion sensor basis.
The proposal was introduced by Rep. David Tarnas, who said he based the bill’s logistics and standards on recommendations from the state’s Dark Skies Advisory Committee.
Tarnas said the night sky holds cultural, scientific and environmental value to Hawaiʻi. He noted that native wildlife depend on the moon and starlight to guide their migration patterns and added that Hawaiʻi's skies play a large part in astronomy research.
“But it's not just protecting wildlife and astronomy – it's protecting our ability to connect to the heavens and our ancestors. Native Hawaiians used the stars to navigate, and they were celestial navigators par excellence,” Tarnas said.
“The kuʻuipo, and our reverence for our ancestors, is so important to us, and it's an important way to establish a match of values with our state agencies, our counties, our private sector folks and the public, because I think we can all share those common values.”
The measure would require public lighting to be below 3,000 Kelvin, which matches the 2016 American Medical Association’s lighting recommendations. The AMA reported that LED lights above 3,000 Kelvin have excessive blue light and can disrupt natural human circadian rhythms, which can negatively impact sleep and cause health issues.
But some supporters of dark sky initiatives, including longtime advocate Michael Marlin, believe the bill does not go far enough.
“Our eyes are not built to look at these bright lights. They're more accustomed to the warmer light,” Marlin said. “They have evolved over millions of years of being exposed to firelight — that's why you can stare into a fire for hours and the body relaxes. But if you try to look at any of these high-intensity lights, you turn away. It literally hurts the eye.”
Marlin added that warmer, dimmer lights also burn less energy, which could save the state money. He urged lawmakers to install a pilot lighting program so that residents can test out the lighting before statewide regulations are implemented.
“They're in the dark about light. Dark sky initiatives don’t mean no light, it means better light,” Marlin said. “I hope there's an opportunity to experience what it is that they're going to be living under, otherwise these numbers mean nothing to people. They don’t know what 3,000 Kelvin means — this all goes right over their head unless they live it.”
The bill would also require lights to be shielded toward the ground and away from shorelines, which would reduce the amount of light pollution and minimize the tendency for turtles and birds to move inland rather than out to the ocean.
But some testifiers have opposed the bill due to its broad language. They say the definitions of “outdoor lighting” are not clearly defined, meaning the implementation would be hard to enforce and regulate. Others stated that inadequate lighting creates an environment that feels unsafe, referring to dark streets and unlit bus stops.
The bill passed through the House Committee on Water and Land and will be heard next by the House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.
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