The Issue of Obtrusive Light Control

Abstract

Currently, the issue of undesirable effects of artificial outdoor lighting on the surrounding environment is a very widely discussed topic. In individual countries, there is an effort to solve this issue within the framework of documents that take different forms, from recommendations to technical standards to legal regulations. Most of these documents are based on the international recommendations of the CIE, which relate to limiting the undesirable effects of so-called obtrusive light on the surrounding environment. In practice, this concept is not widespread among the general public, and is often referred to as light pollution. In spite of the considerable efforts made to address this issue, there is no simple visible consensus in practice on how to deal with it. There are probably several possible reasons. The primary and fundamental one is the issue of terminology and definitions. In practice, one term is used to refer to a number of different phenomena, and at the same time, several terms are used for one phenomenon. Already in current documents, obtrusive light refers to phenomena that are not, by definition, obtrusive light. Clarity and consistency in the use of terms and adherence to their definitions is a prerequisite for mutual understanding when dealing with a particular issue. If definitions are not respected and terminological discipline is not observed, it is very difficult to deal with the issues related to the terms and definitions. The following paper also deals with other possible causes of the mentioned situation.