Lighting the Night

Can we keep street lights bright enough to make people feel safe, but reduce their demand for energy? Look up at the street lights in your area. Are they newer white lights or older sodium lights? Street lights make pedestrians feel safer at night, and cut crime. Can we keep street lights bright enough to make people feel safe, but reduce their demand for energy, so cutting greenhouse gas emissions? This activity was inspired by the research that has led to changes in lighting across the country. Students consider how the colour of lighting impacts upon pedestrian's feelings of safety and how this links with facial recognition distances.