Streetlights and Parking

You may think it weird this footprint has the title it has. I guess it is weird, but I wanted to take a moment to compare the street lighting in La Palma, to the absolute calamity we must suffer in England.

Councils have just spent many millions installing brand new LED lighting in villages, towns and cities. Millions. They had a perfect opportunity to do that with intelligence and careful planning, but instead they paid the electric companies to install brighter lighting that creates intensely white light, harming the nocturnal patterns of all living things. Though I accept that many do spill less light towards the sky, they are still way brighter than needed, in my opinion of course. This will never change now, the opportunity for a better and correct solution is lost.

In La Palma pretty much all the lights are amber and are much less harsh to our eyes and the surroundings. Further, they are designed to deliver light downwards and are only sufficiently bright to do what is needed. We are not talking hugely dim here and you don't walk around feeling unsafe or that everywhere is way too dark. Not at all, it's actually really nice.

There's is more. Many street lights react to passing people or traffic and increase their brightness for a short time, before reducing their light level afterwards. All this is easily doable, makes the environment a better place to live and has the benefit of maintaining dark skies. Clearly, this concept is beyond the mental abilities of planning departments in Britain. Rant over. 😂

Oh, and the parking? It's all free here, no Ringos, PaybyPhone or machines, no pay and display ... nothing. Our councils can't even agree to use one parking payment system - they do in Iceland! While we're at it, there are no potholes here either. Nor in Iceland come to think of it.

It's okay - that really is it, so I'll stop moaning now. 😂😂😂Read more