Bill Text: IL HR0668 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Encourages awareness about the impact and possible prevention of light pollution in Illinois
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-06-23 - Rule 19(b) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HR0668 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2019-HR0668-Introduced.html
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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Light pollution is defined as the brightening of | ||||||
| 3 | the night sky caused by street lights and other man-made | ||||||
| 4 | sources; it has a disruptive effect on the natural cycles and | ||||||
| 5 | inhibits the observation of stars and planets near urban | ||||||
| 6 | localities and industrial districts; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Counter to "ambient" or "natural" light, light | ||||||
| 8 | pollution results from amplified use of artificial electrical | ||||||
| 9 | light; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Too much light pollution has adverse | ||||||
| 11 | consequences, such as washing out starlight in the night sky, | ||||||
| 12 | interfering with astronomical research, disrupting ecosystems, | ||||||
| 13 | poor health effects, and wasting energy; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Though light pollution affects Illinoisians | ||||||
| 15 | across the state, it is most prominent in urban localities and | ||||||
| 16 | industrial districts; and
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| 17 | WHEREAS, The luminous glow of light pollution prevents | ||||||
| 18 | nearly eighty percent of people in North America from seeing | ||||||
| 19 | our Milky Way Galaxy in the night sky; more than ninety-nine | ||||||
| 20 | percent of people living in the United States and Europe | ||||||
| 21 | witness light pollution skies on a nightly basis; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Meanwhile, there are countries, such as Chad and | ||||||
| 2 | Madagascar, where the majority of people live under crisp | ||||||
| 3 | black-sky conditions; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Light pollution affects more than simply the | ||||||
| 5 | aesthetic view of the evening landscape; the circadian rhythm | ||||||
| 6 | of an individual exposed to especially damaging light pollution | ||||||
| 7 | can be thrown into disarray, resulting in sleep disorders which | ||||||
| 8 | can impact the individual's personal, physical, and emotional | ||||||
| 9 | well-being; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Light pollution can confuse the migratory | ||||||
| 11 | patterns of animals, alter competitive interactions of | ||||||
| 12 | animals, change predator-prey relations, and cause | ||||||
| 13 | physiological harm to numerous wildlife species; and
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| 14 | WHEREAS, Such light pollution can be curtailed by light | ||||||
| 15 | fixture and bulb selection and the proper shielding of urban | ||||||
| 16 | lighting; therefore, be it
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| 17 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 18 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 19 | we encourage awareness about the impact and possible prevention | ||||||
| 20 | of light pollution within the State of Illinois.
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