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Wren, W.; Locke, S. |

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Title |
Upgraded Rig Lighting Improves Night Time Visibility While Reducing Stray Light and the Threat to Dark Skies in West Texas |
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Conference Article |
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2015 |
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Society of Petroleum Engineers |
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Soc. Petrol. Engr. |
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Lighting; outdoor lighting; petroleum; oil and gas; lighting engineering |
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McDonald Observatory, part of the University of Texas at Austin, is a world-class astronomical-research facility representing hundreds of millions of dollars of public and private investment that is increasingly threatened by nighttime lighting from oil-and-gas-related activities in and around the Permian Basin. Established in the remote Davis Mountains of West Texas in 1932, the observatory is home to some of the world's largest telescopes and it has continued as a world-renowned research center. Dark night skies are crucial to its mission. Since 2010, however, the sky along the observatory's northern horizon, in the direction of the Permian Basin, has been steadily and rapidly brightening, due to new exploration for oil and gas. The pace has been accelerating: More than 2,000 applications were filed over the past year to drill in the region. In 2011, the State of Texas enacted a law that instructs the seven counties surrounding McDonald Observatory, an area covering some 28,000 square miles, to adopt outdoor lighting ordinances designed to preserve the dark night skies for ongoing astronomical research at the observatory. Most had already done so voluntarily, but additional effort is needed throughout the area to address fast-moving energy-exploration activities.
A joint project between McDonald Observatory and Pioneer Energy Services (PES) has demonstrated that many of the adverse effects of oilfield lighting can be mitigated, without jeopardizing safety, through proper shielding and aiming of light fixtures. Beginning July, 2013, PES granted the observatory access to a working rig, Pioneer Rig #29. Every time the rig moved to a new location, there was an opportunity to install shields, re-aim floodlights, and evaluate effectiveness.
This joint project demonstrated that, in many cases, nighttime visibility on the rig can be significantly improved. Many light fixtures, which had been sources of blinding glare due to of lack of shielding, poor placement, or poor aiming, were made better and safer, using optional glare shields that are offered by manufacturers for a variety of fixture models. Proper shielding and aiming of existing fixtures improves visibility and reduces wasted uplight. New lighting systems that take advantage of light-emitting-diode technology also promise better directionality, reduced fuel consumption, and darker skies overhead.
The oil-and-gas industry has been lighting its exploration and production activities in much same way for more than 100 years, with little to no consideration of environmental impacts. The opportunity exists to adopt new lighting practices and technologies that improve safety, reduce costs, and help preserve our vanishing night skies so that important ongoing scientific exploration can continue. |
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Society of Petroleum Engineers |
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SPE E&P Health, Safety, Security and Environmental Conference-Americas held in Denver, Colorado, USA, 16–18 March 2015 |
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IDA @ john @ |
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1993 |
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Author |
Lystrup, D.E. |

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Title |
The Dark Side of the Light: Rachel Carson, Light Pollution, and a Case for Federal Regulation |
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Journal Article |
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2017 |
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Jurimetrics |
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Jurimetrics |
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57 |
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4 |
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505-528 |
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Society; law; light pollution; regulation; environmentalism |
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This comment explores the negative effects of light pollution and considers whether current levels of artificial light at night (LAN) warrant federal control by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This study first identifies the negative effects of light pollution on human health and the environment, treatment of which aligns with the mission statement of the EPA. Light pollution comprises both a private and a public nuisance. Next, this comment assesses the effectiveness of the common law approach, local government, state government, and federal control over light pollution in this context to determine which form of governance is most effective. Then, EPA involvement through federal and state implemented plans, as well as federal regulation of manufacturing is investigated. Last, this comment considers the necessity of private action through an emerging legal reform called new governance, which emphasizes public-private approaches. The negative effects of light pollution on human health and the environment could eventually lead the EPA to assert control over the regulation of light pollution, but under the current presidential administration this is highly unlikely. The predicted lack of government action leads me to call for nongovernment organizations (NGOs) to step in and take action to privately regulate light pollution and mitigate its negative effects through certification regimes, insurance premium incentives, and corporate social responsibility until government exerts regulatory control. |
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Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, MC 9520 Arizona State University 111 E. Taylor Street Phoenix, AZ 85004-4467 USA |
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American Bar Association |
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IDA @ john @ |
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1995 |
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Kinzey, B.R.; Perrin, T.E.; Miller, N.J.; Kocifaj, M.; Aubé, M.; Lamphar, H.A. |
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An investigation of LED street lighting's impact on sky glow |
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2017 |
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PNNL-26411 |
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Skyglow; Lighting |
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A significant amount of public attention has recently focused on perceived impacts of converting street lighting from incumbent lamp-based products to LED technology. Much of this attention pertains to the higher content of short wavelength light (commonly referred to as “blue light”) of LEDs and its attendant influences on sky glow (a brightening of the night sky that can interfere with astronomical observation and may be associated with a host of other issues). The complexity of this topic leads to common misunderstandings and misperceptions among the public, and for this reason the U.S. Department of Energy Solid-State Lighting Program embarked on a study of sky glow using a well-established astronomical model to investigate some of the primary factors influencing sky glow. This report details the results of the investigation and attempts to present those results in terms accessible to the general lighting community. The report also strives to put the results into a larger context, and help educate interested readers on various topics relevant to the issues being discussed. |
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Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States) |
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GFZ @ kyba @ |
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2014 |
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Ashford, O.M. |
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A portable cloud searchlight |
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1947 |
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Weather |
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2 |
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103-104 |
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Remote Sensing |
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2044 |
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Bergs, R.; Issa, M. |
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What do night satellite images and small-scale grid data tell us about functional changes in the rural-urban environment and the economy? Case studies Frankfurt-Rhein/Main and Ljubljana Urban Region |
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2018 |
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Remote Sensing |
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This study addresses how nocturnal satellite imagery can be used in spatial analysis of rural-urban relations. It shows how a novel approach can be used to complement the prevalent traditional survey methods below the data resolution level of official regional statistics. The overarching aim is to contribute with a novel database and different empirical tools to broaden spatial information for decision-making in policy and planning at small spatial scale amongst municipalities. The accuracy of spatial information is expected to be substantially enhanced, paving ways for better rural-urban planning coordination and synergies. |
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PRAC - Bergs & Issa Partnership Co. , Im Hopfengarten 19b, D - 65812 Bad Soden, Germany |
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GFZ @ kyba @ |
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2047 |
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