Colin, I am a professional lighting designer. I fully understand the availability of full cutoff fixtures and the desirability of dark sky mandates- by which I abide. I also have that sat photo on my computer- I’ve used it as wallpaper in the past. If anything, the Korean peninsula is the most telling part of the pic. The absence of light in NK says more about politics than lighting design- but I digress.
As for bugs, have you ever been to FL? It’s basically a glorified swamp. Come over sometime and walk around our lake at night. Good luck, you’ll need it. You’ll be begging for pyrethrin.
As for people leaving their lights on, if they have the money to pay the bill, who are you or I to tell them to stop? I design for the customer- they are my employer, and I’ll do what they pay me to do. I use the most efficient and effective source I can, but ultimately, they will do what they want with the system they’ve paid for. Freedom is more important than bugs. Sorry, it just is. People die for freedom, they dont die for insects. And if they want to exercise their freedom in what you consider to be an irresponsible way, that’s your problem. Don’t make it theirs.
This is the genius of the environmental movement- it allows people to shepherd others around out of some phantom crisis that will kill us all- allegedly. A perfect excuse to be a control freak.
I’ve never been to Florida, but I’ve been to another glorified swamp called Bangladesh. A multitude of insects around a swamp is quite normal, and desirable. One should realise that in such a natural setting, we are the intruder, not they.
I commend you on abiding by dark sky mandates, but providing people with inappropriate lighting just because they can pay for it and then abuse it is totally wrong. The prevailing culture needs to change. I have realised that, and so should everyone else. I would never advocate depriving people of freedom, for which my nation as well as yours has paid, and is still paying dearly. Those concerned about inappropriate lighting are certainly not control freaks. If the customer is ignorant of the consequences of his actions, then the service provider should advise him accordingly. That is ethical conduct and sound business practice, and it should apply to the lighting industry as much as any other. As a lighting designer you should be providing lighting that is not damaging to the environment (i.e. motion operated) and does not trespass onto neighbouring properties. Such lighting will still provide for the needs of your customers, and as a result everyone wins – yourself, your customers, insects, and the environment.