Dallas going dark at night

This has been a long-standing gripe of mine. I see so many office buildings and businesses that leave their lights on all night long. We can save so much energy by turning off the lights in our cubicles, offices etc. at the end of the day.

The same is true for the multitude of computers and monitors left running 24 hrs of the day unnecessarily; barring some critical systems, many of these desktop and laptop computers should be shut-down when not in use.

Dallas is certainly taking a step in the right direction, but there is much more to be done.

Kids everywhere need to be told to turn off the lights. So too, do businesses that leave the lights on all night for the sake of making the building look 'cool.'

Thousands of Dallas' city lights 'could fall dark four hours each night under an ordinance Dallas City Council members will consider Wednesday as part of a broader effort to conserve energy and reduce power plant emissions. According to an ordinance draft, businesses citywide would be required to switch off most of their exterior and signage lighting between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

That includes: --Decorative lighting, 'such as lighting that illuminates or outlines a building's facades or elements'; --Lighting used to illuminate fountains, sculptures, flagpoles and other similar structures; --Landscape illumination lighting; --Lighting that illuminates premise signs, whether attached to or separate from a building. Violators could face fines of up to $2,000.

Among the ordinance's exemptions are security, hospital, traffic control, residential and transportation lighting. State and federal government facilities, as well as businesses open and operating between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., would also be exempt, according to the ordinance.'

More "Simple Things First" - Dallas Style (TreeHugger)